Written answers
Tuesday, 7 March 2017
Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
Turf Cutting
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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250. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when legislation governing peat extraction is due before the Houses of the Oireachtas to provide clarity for the EPA to monitor same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11923/17]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently progressing draft Regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 that will establish a new regulatory regime in respect of large-scale peat extraction. Under the new regime, the Environmental Protection Agency will be required to carry out an environmental impact assessment as part of its examination of licence applications for existing and new peat extraction of 30 hectares or more. Interested parties and stakeholders were consulted on the draft Regulations in October 2016. These draft Regulations are now being further reviewed in the light of the comments received, with a view to finalising them as soon as possible.
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