Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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218. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 556 of 3 February 2015, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, despite the lack of a foreshore licence, sand is being removed from the Natura 2000 site (details supplied) at Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour special protection area-special areas of conservation, to a private development, a golf course; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that no consultation took place between Kerry County Council and the local landowners or local community, in relation to the removal of sand from the site; no management plan for this Natura 2000 site has been presented by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to the local landowners for consultation; removal of sand from the beach is not permitted, as it was eroded from adjacent dunes, and so should be used to restore those dunes; no assessment was carried out to evaluate the environmental effects of removing sand from the beach, where there is visible and serious erosion; the removal of sand will have a negative effect on the surrounding habitats in the Natura 2000 site, which habitats are eroding up to 15 m in parts; the removal of sand will affect the overall integrity of this site, and damage the goodwill of the local landowners, who have been protecting it; the sand does not belong to Kerry County Council, but to the dunes owned by local landowners; removing sand is prohibited under the Foreshore Act, and all landowners must comply with this, even on their own land; local farmers are not entitled to take sand from the beach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7369/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Further to the reply to Question No. 556 of 3 February 2015, my Department instructed Kerry County Council to immediately cease any works on the foreshore within the Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) and within the Tralee Bay complex Special Protection Area (SPA) pending consideration of licensing requirements under the Foreshore Act 1933. Kerry County Council has advised my Department that works have ceased.

A site inspection is scheduled to be carried out by my Department this week. Thereafter, my Department will consider the next steps in conjunction with Kerry County Council and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The matter of a management plan for a Natura 2000 site is a matter for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.