Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the up-to-date position on the draft management plan to be published for circulation by the stakeholders for an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37017/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Gearagh is primarily owned and managed by the ESB and enjoys extensive legal protections as a Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area and a designated Nature Reserve.

The publication of a management plan for the site is a matter for the ESB. However, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has contributed extensively as a stakeholder to the ESB's proposed management plans for the site, including via the scoping exercise that was undertaken by ESB International on behalf of the ESB in 2016/2017 and the subsequent report.

I understand that the ESB has now completed a draft management plan which has been provided to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for consideration.

I am pleased to say that a meeting between ESB and the Regional and Scientific teams in the NPWS will take place shortly to discuss the Draft Plan contents and NPWS’s observations thereon.

I understand that the Plan will be published in due course, but that remains a matter for the ESB.

In the meantime, the NPWS continues to engage with the ESB on the monitoring of this site and the positive findings from scientific surveys generally indicate an effective management regime.