Written answers

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

EU Directives

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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588. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding a motion on 3 July 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43283/14]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Since this Government has come into office, huge efforts have been made to solve the issue of the protection of Ireland's raised bog special areas of conservation within the framework of the Habitats Directive. This has included intense engagement with turf cutting interests, farmers, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission. A long term compensation scheme was introduced to compensate cutters for their loss. The draft National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan was published in January. It sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. The draft Plan sets out the demanding tests which must be met before turf cutting could be consented to within the provisions of the Directive. The final Plan will clarify whether the relevant provisions of the Directive could be applicable for any particular special area of conservation and will seek to establish whether sufficient consensus can be achieved at a national level to make a successful case to the European Commission for flexibility in accordance with Article 6(4) of the Directive.

This National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan responds to the central recommendation of Mr. Justice Quirke arising out of the 2012 Peatlands Forum and as requested in the resolution of Dáil Éireann of 7 March 2012 which called on the Government to "engage actively with the European Commission to seek a resolution within the terms of the Habitats Directive, and to prepare and submit a National Raised Bog Restoration Plan to the Commission as a matter of urgency."

Final resolution of all issues in relation to the protection of Ireland's raised bog Special Areas of Conservation will only be brought by everyone working together - within the law - with my Department and with the Peatlands Council, which was established with the purpose of ensuring the input from all stakeholders.

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