Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason her Department has not disclosed the location of the bogs that are to be designated as special areas of conservation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23542/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The draft National Raised Bog Special Area of Conservation Management Plan provides for the future restoration and management of 53 raised bog candidate special areas of conservation and was developed arising from a motion in Dáil Éireann in March 2012, put forward by the Technical Group and unanimously supported by all members. It sets out the approach to how each of the candidate raised bog special areas of conservation is to be conserved and restored and how the needs of turf-cutters are to be addressed.

The draft plan also proposes that a number of sites be put forward as compensatory special areas of conservation to make up for the loss of habitat through turf-cutting since the candidate special areas of conservation were originally nominated for designation. These sites are predominately owned by Bord na Móna.

I will identify these sites when I am in a position to apply the relevant legal protections to them. This will be done following the completion of the necessary preparatory work.