Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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140. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a person (details supplied) is permitted to remove gravel that was deposited on lands after recent flooding of a nearby river; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10886/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, like all EU Member States, is bound by the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive. This Directive aims to ensure the protection of habitats and species which have been selected for conservation within special areas of conservation. In order to protect the ecology of such sites, certain activities within special areas of conservation may only be undertaken with my prior consent, as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, or the consent of another appropriate public authority.

I arranged for an official from my Department to make contact with the landowner concerned and established that the land in question is not within a special area of conservation. Therefore the matter of my consent does not arise. It could however, require the consent of another authority and my official has discussed this aspect with the landowner.