Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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446. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 1034 of 13 July 2017, if there is a policy on the emissions of greenhouse gases from development sites on peatlands, including degraded peatlands to which planning authorities should have regard when assessing proposals for renewable energy or other developments. [40238/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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As I set out in answer to Parliamentary Question No. 1034 of 13 July 2017, it is a matter for planning authorities, taking account of Government policy, and national and EU legislation, to assess the likely impacts of proposed developments on the environment.

The 2015 National Peatlands Strategy, published by my colleague the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, identifies the potential role of peatlands rehabilitation, restoration and enhancement in the context of mitigating Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

As outlined in the National Mitigation Plan, which I published on 19 July 2017, I intend to undertake further work to analyse the feasibility of including wetland draining and re-wetting in the national inventory.

This work will be essential to support the development of an informed policy position on the potential contribution of peatlands management to climate change mitigation. Pending the outcome of this work, the preparation of a specific guidance or policy in relation to emissions of greenhouse gases from development sites on peatlands is not being considered in my Department.