Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Feb 1995

Vol. 448 No. 4

Written Answers. - Special Areas of Conservation.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

95 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the progress that is being made in preparing a list of sites for submission to the European Commission as candidate special areas for conservation under the habitats directive before the European Commission deadline of June 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1592/95]

Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht (Mr. M. Higgins)

I am preparing a regulation which will transpose the Habitats Directive into Irish Law and I would hope that the regulation will be in force in the near future.

A list of candidate special areas of conservation (SACs) will be selected from the proposed natural heritage areas. An assessment and compilation of data in a format laid down by the Commission in respect of the candidate sites will then be carried out. Applications from qualified firms to be short-listed for this work are due on 10 February 1995. Firms with the necessary expertise will be short-listed. The selected firms will be asked to submit costedtimed proposals.

All known landowners and occupiers of land in the candidate SACs will be notified and their views will be sought prior to the submission of the list to the Commission. The National Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Force started identifying landowners and occupiers in 1994 and this work is continuing. To date approximately 70 per cent of landowners have been identified.

Advertisements will be placed in newspapers notifying the general public. In addition, Government Departments, local authorities, the main farming bodies and non-governmental organisations will be advised.

I expect that part of the list will be submitted before the deadline of June 1995 and that the balance will follow quickly.