Written answers
Thursday, 10 February 2022
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Special Areas of Conservation
Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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296. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a dedicated conservation management plan has been put in place for the Lough Hyne nature reserve and environs special area of conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7367/22]
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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In 2017 a partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department and Fáilte Ireland was established to achieve the shared goal of further developing quality experiences at our National Parks and Nature Reserves. One major output from my Department's Strategic Partnership with Fáilte Ireland, was a Masterplan for the six National Parks and Nature Reserves. This provides a high level and integrated blueprint for the NPWS to invest in and better manage the parks and reserves network for conservation, biodiversity and visitor experience alike. In effect, it enables the aligning of conservation objectives of the parks and reserves network with increasing visitor appeal and numbers.
As part of my Department’s continuing commitment and contribution to protecting our heritage and recreation amenities, I continue to explore ways to optimise the sustainable potential of heritage sites in my care in a way that is compatible with conservation objectives.
Lough Hyne is designated as a Special Area of Conservation which is selected for three habitats listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (Large shallow inlets and bays, Reefs and Submerged or partially submerged sea caves). Detailed site-specific conservation objectives have been published for these three habitats (www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/conservation_objectives/CO000097.pdf). The targets outlined in these objectives help to guide appropriate management of the site.
My Department has been funding research to determine the cause of the decline of sponge communities in Lough Hyne since 2018. The precise cause has not yet been determined, though there are already some signs of recovery. Further research is being funded until 2027 and management measures will be put in place, as and when the research indicates the appropriate steps to be taken.
Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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297. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a dedicated conservation management plan has been put in place for the Knockomagh wood nature reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7368/22]
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Knockomagh Wood Nature Reserve was established in 1989. It is a small area of sessile oak and mixed broadleaf woodland which sits adjacent to Lough Hyne Nature Reserve and Environs SAC. Conservation objectives are used to guide the appropriate management of this site.
In 2017 a partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department and Fáilte Ireland was established to achieve the shared goal of further developing quality experiences at our National Parks and Nature Reserves. One major output from my Department's Strategic Partnership with Fáilte Ireland, was a Masterplan for the six National Parks and Nature Reserves. This provides a high level and integrated blueprint for the NPWS to invest in and better manage the parks and reserves network for conservation, biodiversity and visitor experience alike. In effect, it enables the aligning of conservation objectives of the parks and reserves network with increasing visitor appeal and numbers.
As part of my Department’s continuing commitment and contribution to protecting our heritage and recreation amenities, I continue to explore ways to optimise the sustainable potential of heritage sites in my care in a way that is compatible with conservation objectives.
Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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298. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the activities that are currently regulated by either licence or permit in the Lough Hyne marine nature reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7369/22]
Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The activities currently regulated by either licence or permit in the Lough Hyne Nature Reserve are set in two Designations Orders: the European Union Habitats (Lough Hyne Nature Reserve and Environs Special Area of Conservation 000097) Regulations 2021 and the Nature Reserve (Lough Hyne) Regulations, 1981. The regulated activities are listed in the tables below.
European Union Habitats (Lough Hyne Nature Reserve and Environs Special Area of Conservation 000097) Regulations 2021
| ARC Code | Activities requiring Consent (ARC) |
|---|---|
| ARC 01 | Reclamation, including infilling |
| ARC 03 | Blasting, drilling, dredging or otherwise removing or disturbing fossils, rock, minerals, mud, sand, gravel or other sediment. |
| ARC 05 | Cutting, uprooting or otherwise removing plants. [Consent is not required for harvesting of cultivated crops, or for grazing or mowing.] |
| ARC 06 | Introduction, or re-introduction, of plants or animals not found in the area. [Consent is not required for the planting of crops on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land.] |
| ARC 08 | Undertaking scientific research involving the collection and removal of biological material. |
| ARC 09 | Construction or alteration of tracks, paths, roads, bridges, culverts or access routes. |
| ARC 10 | Construction, removal or alteration of fences, stone walls, hedgerows, banks or any field boundary other than temporary electric fencing. [Consent is not required for normal maintenance.] |
| ARC 11 | Digging, ploughing, harrowing or otherwise disturbing soil or substrate. [Consent is not required for these activities on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 50m from a river, stream, floodplain, wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 12 | Applying inorganic or organic fertiliser, including slurry and farmyard manure. [Consent is not required for these activities on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 20m from a river, stream or floodplain; or greater than 50m from a wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 13 | Applying lime. [Consent is not required for this activity on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 20m from a river, stream or floodplain; or greater than 50m from a wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 14 | Storage, burial, disposal or recovery of any materials. [Consent is not required for these activities on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 20m from a river, stream or floodplain; or greater than 50m from a wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 15 | Burning, topping, clearing scrub or rough vegetation or reseeding. [Consent is not required for these activities on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 20m from a river, stream or floodplain; or greater than 50m from a wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 18 | Application of pesticides, including herbicides. [Consent is not required for these activities on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 20m from a river, stream or floodplain; or greater than 50m from a wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 19 | Supplementary feeding of livestock. [Consent is not required for this activity on established reseeded grassland or cultivated land provided it is greater than 20m from a river, stream or floodplain; or greater than 50m from a wetland, lake, turlough or pond.] |
| ARC 20 | Significant changes in livestock density (including introduction of grazing), changes in livestock type or grazing season, other than on established reseeded grassland. [Consent is not required for changes of less than 20% in livestock density unless notice has been given that a lower percentage is applicable to a particular site.] |
| ARC 24 | Works on, or alterations to, the banks, bed or flow of a drain, watercourse or waterbody. |
| ARC 25 | Drainage works including digging, deepening, widening or blocking a drain, watercourse or waterbody. |
| ARC 28 | Felling of trees or removing timber, including dead wood. |
| ARC 29 | Planting of trees or multi-annual bioenergy crops. |
| ARC 31 | Developing or consenting to the development or operation of commercial recreational/visitor facilities or organised recreational activities. |
| ARC 36 | Harvesting marine invertebrate species in intertidal areas. |
| ARC 37 | Driving mechanically propelled vehicles in intertidal areas, except over prescribed access routes. |
Nature Reserve (Lough Hyne) Regulations, 1981
| Regulation Number | Description of Regulation |
|---|---|
| 3. (1) | A person shall not operate any craft, vehicle or vessel with a mechanical power greater than 10 horse power on or above, or in, or above the surface of the water covering, the land to which this Regulation applies save under and in accordance with a permission in writing granted in that behalf by the Minister. |
| 7 | No person shall use any part of the reserve for a regatta, water-skiing, skin-diving or scuba-diving save under and in accordance with a permission in writing granted in that behalf by the Minister. |
| 8. (1) (a) | A member of the public shall not, while in the reserve, hunt or by any means wilfully injure or kill any specimen of fauna save under and in accordance with a permission in writing in that behalf granted by the Minister. |
| 8. (1) (b) | A member of the public shall not take into or remove from the reserve any specimen of fauna save under and in accordance with such a permission in that behalf and so granted. |
| 8. (1) (c) | A member of the public shall not, while in the reserve, cut, pick, uproot or otherwise take flora of any species or any part of a specimen of such a species save under and in accordance with such a permission in that behalf and so granted. |
| 8. (1) (d) | A member of the public shall not, while in the reserve, wilfully alter or otherwise interfere with the habitat of any species of fauna or flora save under and in accordance with such a permission in that behalf and so granted. |
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