Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 450: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 192 and 193 of 30 October 2008 and his confirmation by replies to same that the designation of a site as either a special area of conservation or a special protection area may have implications for landowners; his views on whether such affected landowners are individually consulted as well as given appropriate maps of any such proposed designation that might impinge on their property rights and also be afforded an opportunity to make submissions on these matters; if he proposes to instruct all local authorities in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40682/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The EU Habitats and Birds Directives require Member States to maintain or restore the favourable conservation status of specified habitats and species. This is done primarily by designating appropriate sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Areas (SPA) and by protecting the ecological interests of those sites. Designation of a site may have implications for landowners, as management and use of these lands must have regard to the protection of the habitats and species for which the site is designated.

My Department directly notifies all readily identifiable landowners within the boundaries of sites that are proposed for designation. Individual landowners are notified in writing and are sent information packs on the relevant site which include a map indicating the proposed boundaries and details on the implications of the designation and the process of objecting to the proposed designation. Landowners are given a 3-month period during which they can lodge an objection to a proposal to designate a site for nature conservation.

The names and addresses of affected landowners are sourced from the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Property Registration Authority and through the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. A commercially available database is also used to identify landowners in urban and peri-urban locations. Additional measures are taken where there is a possibility that an individual might be missed. In such cases, my Department ensures that proposed designations of SACs and SPAs are advertised in local newspapers and on local radio. Relevant maps are also displayed for public viewing in the local offices of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the local offices of the Department of Social, and Family Affairs, local Teagasc offices, local Garda stations and public libraries.

All planning authorities within whose functional area a site, or any part of a proposed site, is situated are notified with comprehensive data and information when any SAC or SPA designation is proposed.