Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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407. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there will be an impact in the funding of arts, heritage or cultural projects as a result of the €45,000 used to hire helicopters to carry out surveillance on bogs; under what budget were these funds originally allocated; the way this funding shortfall will be bridged in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36472/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not hired helicopters to carry out monitoring of unauthorised turf-extraction in raised bog Special Areas of Conservation. This work is undertaken in cooperation with the Air Corps and fixed wing aircraft are used. Privately hired flights are undertaken when the Air Corps is unable to provide the necessary support. Funding for this work has been provided for in my Department’s vote for 2013. The approach is the most cost-effective way of undertaking the monitoring required to ensure that these rare and endangered ecosystems are protected from further damage, and that the tax-payer is protected from potential fines of up to €25, 000 per day. These sites are protected under Irish and European law. I hope that such expenditure can be reduced in the future as fewer breaches of the law are detected.