Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has mapping information of karst landscapes in the State; if there are protections in place to protect their integrity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28945/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Geological Survey Ireland, a division of the Department, maintain the National Karst Databases and they are made available publically via our online web mapping site Data and maps (gsi.ie) The karst feature database contains  over 16,000 features, in 9 categories., including  turloughs, swallow holes, springs etc. Certain features are protected by being designated or included in Special Areas of Conservation while many are also listed as National or County Geological Heritage Sites.

Karst aquifers are also designated into specific karst aquifer categories and along with certain karst landforms are incorporated into guidelines for national policy and planning.