Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 594: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will extend the date for appeal under the special protection area of Friday, 8 February 2008 for at least another four weeks to provide an opportunity for farmers to appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4498/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Special Protection Areas (SPA) are designated under the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) as transposed into Irish Law by the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997. The Habitats Regulations allow a statutory time frame of 3 months in which parties with a legal interest can lodge an objection to a proposed designation. I have no proposals to extend that deadline.

There has been a comprehensive public information campaign on the proposed Hen Harrier SPA designations. Some 5,500 landowners were notified directly in writing of the proposals to designate the 6 Hen Harrier SPAs. These proposals were also published in local media (radio and newspapers). Further to this, my Department ran a number of information clinics to assist landowners' understanding of the proposed designations and their implications. The dates and venues of these clinics were advertised in local newspapers and radio.