Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 206: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the breakdown by county of the amount of land in hectares set aside as special areas of conservation and the amount of land in hectares that has been covered by a management plan for the SACs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6432/09]

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

The total area of land, including inshore areas, designated as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the European Union Habitats Directive is 1,100,475 hectares. The breakdown of that area by county is set out in the following table:

Management plans have been published for the National Parks in Killarney and the Wicklow Mountains, the lands of which are largely included in SACs. Their combined area is 28,561 hectares. Management plans for Glenveagh and Connemara National Parks will be published in 2009.

Individual site management plans are not a legal requirement under the EU Habitats Directive or the EU (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997. However, individual site conservation plans are an important instrument in protecting these sites and 140 such plans have been prepared. There is some form of plan therefore for one third of the 423 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) in Ireland.