Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason he has not implemented the findings of the Quirke Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28895/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this year, at the request of the Government, Mr Conor Skehan, Chairman of the Peatlands Council, convened a Peatlands Forum, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Justice John Quirke, and involving my Department, the IFA, the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, Bord na Móna, and representatives of turf-cutting and environmental groups. This Forum allowed each community affected by the cessation of turf-cutting to put forward their views on the issues and follow-up steps were identified for each bog. The report on the Forum from Justice Quirke also recommended that a national plan should be prepared to examine how the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation are to be protected. This recommendation was agreed to by Government. Dáil Éireann also gave unanimous support to a Private Members' Motion, which called for such a national plan to be put in place. On the 3rd of April, I, together with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr Phil Hogan, T.D., met with EU Environment Commissioner Potoènik in Brussels, where we secured the support of the European Commission for developing a National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan. This plan will be developed over the coming 12 months.

The plan will be wide-ranging, looking at the practical aspects of conserving and managing the affected bogs and will allow solutions for turf-cutters to be explored in detail. In the context of such a plan, it may be possible to bring some flexibility, within the terms of the EU Habitats Directive, that could allow limited cutting within a small number of sites. The plan will be progressed both at local level for each site and through the Peatlands Council and my Department has been engaging with relevant communities in this regard.