Vol. 474 No. 3
121 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the discussions, if any, he has had with farmers in the Burren area of County Clare regarding special areas of conservation; and, if so, the way in which such discussions will impact on evolving agricultural practices. [3041/97]
122 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the area in hectares of the Burren, County Clare, which will be designated under the special areas of conservation scheme; and whether any such area will be among those already proposed for eventual natural heritage area status. [3042/97]
123 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht whether farmers in the Burren, County Clare, who comply with the regulations for special areas of conservation, will have compensation paid to them which includes their entitlement under the REP scheme even if they are not already participants in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry REP scheme. [3043/97]
124 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht when he proposes to provide individual farmers in County Clare with maps outlining special areas of conservation on their property; and the areas of County Clare to be included in the special areas of conservation scheme. [3044/97]
125 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the level of compensation, additional to that available under the REP scheme, which will be payable to farmers in the Burren, County Clare, whose property is included in the special areas of conservation. [3045/97]
Tógfaidh mé Ceisteanna Uimh. 121 go 125 le chéile.
The Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Carey, has had meetings with farmers and their representatives in the Burren area of County Clare to discuss the proposed designation of special areas of conservation and related matters in the context of the rural environmental protection scheme. SACs will generally be selected from the areas already proposed for eventual natural heritage area status and will account for about 550,000 hectares in about 400 sites, or about 70 per cent of the proposed NHA areas. The specific areas to be proposed for inclusion in SACs will be published as soon as I make the regulations to transpose the EU habitats directive into Irish law. This will happen very shortly.
When the regulations are in place, the process of consultation with individual landowners and the general public leading to SAC designation will commence. Details of the designation proposals will be sent to each landowner-user thought to be affected where these can be identified. These details will include maps as well as information regarding the conditions applicable to the relevant site, compensation and arrangements for objections-appeals.
In addition, the designation proposals will be publicly advertised and persons who feel that they may be affected but who have not received individual notifications will be invited to contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department, which will provide the relevant information.
The conservation conditions which will apply to SACS in the Burren will be identical to those already agreed by my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Teagasc, private planners, and farming organisations in the context of the REP scheme, which is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
