Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 244: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of appeals currently within the independent appeals board on the proposed designation of lands as special areas of conservation; the average length of time it takes to process an appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37435/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Designated Areas Appeals Advisory Board currently has a total of 51 cases on hand. The average length of time taken by the board to finalise an appeal has been 74 weeks. This average includes cases where, for example, the appellant lived abroad and delays were encountered by the board in securing submission of documents and scheduling a mutually convenient date for a hearing. An analysis of the cases still before the board shows that the average time between the acknowledgement to the appellant of a new appeal and receipt of the appellant's supporting scientific report is 44 weeks, corresponding to almost 60% of the time taken to finalise appeals.

The board is taking steps with the assistance of my Department to increase the number of cases dealt with and to reduce the above processing periods.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the acreage of land designated and proposed to be designated under special areas of conservation, special protection areas and national heritage areas; the acreage currently covered by REP scheme plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37436/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Areas amounting to some 1,060,000 hectares have been proposed for designation as special areas of conservation under the terms of the habitats directive, comprising both terrestrial and marine elements. Some 220,000 hectares are designated as special protection areas under the birds directive and some 59,600 hectares as natural heritage areas under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000. There is a degree of overlap in these areas designated or proposed for designation, since some sites or parts thereof are classified under two or more designations.

Information on the extent to which designated areas may be within lands covered by the rural environmental protection scheme, REPS, operated by the Department of Agriculture and Food is not available in my Department.