Written answers

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs

Special Areas of Conservation

9:00 pm

Photo of Luke FlanaganLuke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he stands over his statement that 30% of the protected bogs had already been irrevocably damaged; the reason we should try to protect these bogs if they are irrevocably damaged; if he will name those bogs which he believes to be irrevocably damaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32026/12]

Photo of Jimmy DeenihanJimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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The context of the statement referred to by the Deputy related to the Raised Bog Monitoring Project 2004-05 (Fernandez, F, Fanning, M, McCorry, M & Crowley W), which concluded that there had been an overall one-third decrease in the area of active raised bog habitat on 48 sites studied over a ten year period. Active raised bog (habitat type 7110), which is a priority habitat under the Habitats Directive, is the area where conditions are right for typical species of raised bog flora and fauna to thrive and for peat to form. This area is very sensitive to drainage arising from turf-cutting and other pressures.

Turf-cutting directly removes one protected habitat type - degraded raised bog still capable of natural regeneration - and reduces the area of active raised bog through its effects on the water levels on the high bog. The report noted that while only 1-2% of the high bog had been cut away over the study period, the impact on active raised bog was far more dramatic. The face bank cutting causes direct drainage effects on the adjacent high bog and further drainage is required to dry the spreadground. These drainage effects severely impact active raised bog and evidence of this impact can be regularly observed several hundred meters from the face bank.

Areas of active raised bogs may be restored through blocking drains and other works so that peat formation conditions return - that is, if bogs are not damaged beyond repair. Peat lost by cutting would take thousands of years to recover. Continued cutting and drainage makes restoration more difficult and, unless action is taken now, it is clear that much of Ireland's remaining raised bog habitat will be irrevocably lost.

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