Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if in the context of turf cutting, conservation in respect of Hedgestown Bog, Donadea, Naas, County Kildare, is currently covered by National Conservation Order or the National Heritage Area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31452/12]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will use his discretion to alleviate the impact on traditional turf cutters in County Kildare whose turbary plots are governed by national heritage areas conservation areas as opposed to special areas of conservation with the possibility of substituting alternative areas for conservation under national criteria thereby enabling traditional turf cutting to continue while utilising an equal area adjacent in lieu thereof; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31454/12]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 142 together.

Hodgestown Bog, located four kilometres north-west of Prosperous in Co. Kildare, was designated as a Natural Heritage Area (NHA) on 20 September 2005 (S.I. No. 586 of 2005).

In May 2010, the then Government decided that turf-cutting should come to an end on all raised bog NHAs at the end of 2013. 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.

It is expected that the review will be completed prior to the commencement of the 2014 turf-cutting season. The issues referred to by the Deputy will be fully explored as part of the review process.