Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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524. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the legislation in place to protect wildlife habitats, with particular reference to tree felling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20847/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s remit includes the conservation of habitats and species and this is achieved in part through the designation of Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas under European and national legislation. Details of these conservation areas are provided in the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department at.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has overall responsibility for afforestation and tree felling licences under the Forestry Act 2014. That Department refers applications to my Department for comment where works are proposed in designated conservation sites and in the vicinity of such sites although, ultimately, it is a matter for the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine to make determinations on such works.

In a limited number of cases applications for felling of trees may be subject to my approval under the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011.