David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1203. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to allow bogland to be used for golf courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44422/19]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, certain activities within special areas of conservation, special protection areas and natural heritage areas may only take place with my prior consent, as Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht or with the prior consent of the relevant public authority.

In assessing an application for consent, the consent authority would assess the potential impact of the proposed activity on the ecological integrity of the protected site or sites in question.

Therefore, any proposal for the development of a golf course within a protected site would have to comply with the relevant provisions of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, as applicable.