Vol. 461 No. 5
84 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he will consider implementing a new Wildlife Act to formulate a comprehensive peatland conservation strategy as recommended by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council in line with the other European countries in order that the Government target of conserving 50,000 hectares can be met and a coherent plan for the future use of our conserved and protected bogs can be followed. [3249/96]
A draft scheme of a Bill to amend many of the provisions of the Wildlife Act is at present in the course of preparation in my Department. I hope to be in a position to introduce the Bill in the Oireachtas later this year.
Regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 to transpose Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive) into Irish Law are also in the course of preparation and I hope to make these regulations later this year.
Both these legislative measures will give statutory protection to peatland sites. Under the Directive raised and blanket bogs are natural habitat types of Community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation. Therefore I will be including raised and blanket bogs in the list of candidate special areas of conservation which I will publish subsequent to the transposition of the Directive.
