Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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151. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department or the National Parks and Wildlife Service has written to landowners in the Slieve League area (details supplied) advising them to discontinue turf cutting in the special area of conservation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9341/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, certain activities within a special area of conservation may not be undertaken without my prior written consent, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

My Department recently wrote to a number of landowners or users in the Slieve League special area of conservation reminding them of activities within or affecting the site that require prior Ministerial consent.

The cutting of turf for domestic use from intact (uncut) blanket bog areas is one of the activities which may not be carried out within or affecting the site without prior Ministerial consent. However, such consent is not required for the cutting of turf for domestic use from blanket bog banks which were open at the time the site was first proposed for designation.