Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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754. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government what percentage of Irish land is designated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16543/23]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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755. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of revisions that have been made to designated land in Ireland; the number of new hectares that have been designated each time, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16544/23]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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756. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the percentage of land in each county that is designated, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16547/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 754 to 756, inclusive, together.

Ireland has identified and protected more than 600 Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. These are known as European sites and, taken together, form Ireland's Natura 2000 network.

In addition to these European sites, there are 148 Natural Heritage Areas in Ireland which are designated and protected under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000.

In total just under 14% of Ireland's terrestrial land area is currently protected under either national or European law.

The table below lists the terrestrial areas designated as Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Natural Heritage Area (NHA) in each county. As there may be significant overlaps between sites, the total terrestrial area (hectares) designated in each county is also provided.

The table does not include marine habitats, but does include non-marine aquatic habitats such as freshwater lakes and rivers.

In total there are more than 750 protected sites, across all counties, many of which have been designated for up to three decades. As such, detailed information on every revision to every site over the period since designation would be voluminous and could not be compiled in a reasonable timeframe. However, my Department would be happy to assist with any queries regarding changes to any particular site or sites that may be of interest.

Detailed information about individual protected sites is available on the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) website at npws.ie/protected-sites.