Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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247. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason for his apparent intention not to provide for public participation in his plan to exempt large-scale peat extraction from the requirement to obtain planning permission; and the way in which this decision not to consult the public is consistent with Ireland's obligations under Article 8 of the Aarhus Convention. [25798/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As I indicated to the Deputy in my reply to Question No. 145 of 18 May 2017, draft Regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 are currently being progressed relating to the establishment of a new consent system for large-scale peat extraction. These draft Regulations have been the subject of detailed and focused stakeholder input from relevant Government Departments, State bodies, industry representatives and environmental groups. A detailed review of the proposals is on-going in light of this broad stakeholder input, with a view to finalising the Regulations by the end of June.

Consultation with the public was not considered necessary as the proposals in the draft Regulations involve a reconfiguration of responsibilities between two existing consent systems rather than the introduction of a completely new regulatory system for large-scale peat extraction that might have a significant effect on the environment, as referenced in Article 8 of the Aarhus Convention.

Under the proposed 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 continuing or commencing peat extraction of 30 hectares or more and that activity will be exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission.