Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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888. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on designating the Royal Canal Greenway a natural heritage area; the protections it would afford land adjacent to the canal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11548/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Waterways Ireland is the North South Body responsible for the management and maintenance of more than 1000km of Ireland's inland waterways including the Royal Canal. Waterways Ireland also manages and maintains the Shannon, the Shannon Erne Waterway, the Erne System, the Barrow, the Grand Canal and the Lower Bann Navigation.

Waterways Ireland has an open and proactive relationship with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the fulfilment of their respective statutory functions.

Maintenance works along its waterways are informed and guided by legislative requirements and best practice, as applies to all landowners. The maintenance and management of its waterways are undertaken in accordance with exemptions provided under the Planning and Development Regulations (as amended) and the Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations (2011, as amended).

The Royal Canal is a proposed natural heritage area under Section 16(1) of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000. Although proposed natural heritage area sites are not subject to the protection provisions of that Act, their status may be recognised in local authority development plans.

While it is hoped to conduct a review of proposed natural heritage areas in Ireland in the future, my Department’s focus on designations is fulfilling Ireland’s European commitments by designating sites as part of the Natura network as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA). There is currently no plans to designate new Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs).