Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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431. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the concern in the communities of Burt, Bridgend, Burnfoot and Inch Island in the Inishowen Peninsula, County Donegal, at the widespread removal of landscape features such as trees and hedges across an estate (details supplied); and if these works are in compliance with all relevant domestic legislation and European directives. [17412/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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An application under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations 2011 was received by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in September 2017 regarding land located within Lough Swilly Special Protection Area (Site Code: 004075), involving an area of just over 6 hectares. The application was then referred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service as is normally the case involving SAC/SPA. The proposed works involved 'land drainage works on land used for agriculture' including ancillary scrub removal. An approval for these works was subsequently granted following this consultation.

It is important to identify that works outside of an SAC/SPA site, such as trimming of hedges (within the prescribed 'open' period for such works) or cleaning of existing drains are not subject to, and therefore do not breach the European Communities [(Environmental Impact Assessment) (Agriculture) Regulations 2011 (as amended 2017)].

In the event of potential breaches to the management requirements of an SAC/SPA, this should be brought to the attention of the National Parks and Wildlife service locally.