Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline the current designated status of a large geographical area of bogland (details supplied); if this status will allow the hundreds of turbary owners thereon to harvest turf therefrom for their own domestic use and purposes for the foreseeable future without limitations as to a time period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40684/11]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The bogland referred to by the Deputy was designated as an Natural Heritage Area (NHA) on 20 September 2005 by way of Statutory Instrument. A map of the NHA in question is available to view on the National Parks and Wildlife Service website www.NPWS.ie.

The area referred to by the Deputy is within one of 75 NHAs designated for the protection of raised bog habitat. In 2010, the then Government decided that turf-cutting should come to an end on such sites at the end of 2013. However, the Programme for Government undertook to review the situation with regard to NHAs and the future of turf-cutting on such sites will be considered as part of that review. For 2012, turf-cutters on this bog can continue to extract turf as before for their own domestic supply.