Liaison is ongoing between officials of the Office of Public Works and the Department of Energy in relation to the implications of the continued processing of the rare boglands of Ireland.
The Office of Public Works has purchased a number of peatlands of international importance from Bord na Móna in the past and it is hoped to purchase some more from them over the next few years.
I am having a survey carried out on the remaining undisturbed peatlands, with a view to deciding which should be conserved. A survey on raised bogs is complete and will be available shortly. The blanket bog survey is ongoing.
Liaison is ongoing between myself and my colleagues, the Minister for Energy and the Minister for Agriculture and Food concerning developments such as tree planting and agricultural development in such areas.
The Deputy may rest assured that I will do everything possible within the resources available to me to conserve a representative sample of both raised and blanket bogs for this and future generations.
In 1990 a sum of £500,000 has been made available by the Government for the acquisition of peatlands and agreement has already been reached on the purchase of a substantial area of both types of peatland.
In 1989 my Department purchased two important raised bogs at Ballykenny/Fisherstown and Garriskill totalling 203 ha. and also Sally Gap, a blanket bog with surrounding heathland totalling 506 ha.
The total area of peatland now conserved is 1,211 ha. of raised bog and almost 20,000 ha. of blanket bog.
The target for conservation is 10,000 ha. of raised bog and 40,000 ha. of blanket bog.
