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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 8 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 1

Written Answers. - Bull Island (Dublin) Nature Reserve.

Ivor Callely

Question:

39 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the total allocation to the Nature Reserve in North Bull Island under the £57.85 million EU structural funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9137/96]

The EU Structural Fund allocation for national parks and nature reserves comes to £6.65 million. Within this a sum of £2.3 million has been allocated for a project which involves the improvement of, or in some cases the provision of, visitor facilities and visitor information at nature reserves and nature conservation sites managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service — NPWS. Part of the North Bull Island which is a statutory nature reserve will be included in this project.

Dublin Corporation owns and manages the terrestrial part of the North Bull Island Nature Reserve and the NPWS manages the foreshore or marine part of the reserve. The corporation has provided a visitor information and education building there and they also employ a warden on the reserve. I am informed that the facilities the corporation has provided are excellent and are well used by schools and education groups.

The NPWS, who are responsible for the State foreshore part of the reserve, will be examining the information currently available to visitors on its birdlife, marine ecology and its status as a reserve. If there is a need for additional education or interpretative information on these aspects of the reserve it will be provided as part of the EU structural fund project. Dublin Corporation will be consulted by NPWS in this examination.
In advance of the assessment by NPWS it is difficult to estimate the costs that might be involved, however, they could be expected to be between £5,000 and £10,000.
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