Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason for the long delay by his Department in issuing guidelines to the forestry sector, in the Department of Agriculture and Food, on guidelines on the preservation of Hen Harrier Habitat; and his view on the fact that this lack of direction by his Department is holding up the plantation of thousands of acres of trees. [40782/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under the EU Birds Directive, Ireland, like other Member States, is required to maintain the population of bird species, and to designate Special Protection Areas for species which are identified in Annex 1 of the Directive, including the Hen Harrier. In 2002, based on the then available information, a range of possible Special Protection Areas (SPAs) were identified for Hen Harriers in the State. Since then, my Department has thoroughly reviewed the research and information on the Hen Harrier, including the results of a second national survey in 2005. Based on this work, a significant consolidation in relation to the number and extent of Hen Harrier SPA's is now envisaged.

My Department has established a Working Group representing farming and forestry interests, and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and Food to develop a practical management regime for possible further forestry in areas being considered for designation. Following completion of these discussions and final decisions on the designations, the proposed SPAs for the Hen Harrier will be notified to individual landowners. The statutory appeal process will apply.

With regard to current applications to the Forest Service for new forestry in these areas, my Department understands that decisions on some of these may be made shortly on the basis of a special scientific examination which was recently carried out.