Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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391. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the role of the National Parks and Wildlife Service in relation to the River Deel in County Mayo; its engagements with the Office of Public Works and Mayo County Council since November 2015 in relation to flood prevention; why it has prevented work on the river; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15891/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) and local authorities are the principal response agencies with regard to the management of flooding episodes. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is part of my Department, which has the statutory responsibility to advise on the protection of habitats and species identified for nature conservation, including designating sites as Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) under the Wildlife Acts 1976-2012, Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the EU Habitats Directive and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under EU Birds Directive. Many of the rivers and low-lying lands affected by the recent flooding are within or near sites that have been designated as SACs or SPAs. Accordingly, these sites fall within the ambit of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, which are transposed in Irish legislation through the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011) and compliance with which is a matter for all public authorities, agencies and landowners.

The proposed Crossmolina Flood Alleviation Scheme is within the River Moy SAC. The River Deel, a tributary of the Moy, has been designated for the conservation of White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), Brook Lamprey (Lampetra planeri), Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Otter (Lutra lutra). Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) is also present in the Deel. All of the above species are listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive.

The Crossmolina Flood Alleviation Scheme is currently being developed by the OPW. Along with Mayo County Council, Inland Fisheries Ireland and Crossmolina Flood Action Group, the NPWS sits on the Crossmolina Flood Alleviation Scheme Working Group and plays a constructive role on how the Scheme can address issues relating to nature conservation.

NPWS officials attended meetings of the Crossmolina Flood Alleviation Scheme Working Group on 11^thMarch and 12^thMay this year, and are scheduled to attend the next meeting on 16^thJune.

The NPWS has not prevented any works being undertaken on the River Deel and has facilitated the installation of turbidity meters and flow meters for the monitoring of the scheme. The recent suspension of vegetation removal by OPW was in compliance with the Wildlife Acts and their own environmental protocols. As the Deputy will be aware, the Wildlife Acts provide that vegetation removal of the nature undertaken may only take place between 1 September to 28 February.