Vol. 480 No. 6
413 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the restrictions, if any, special areas of conservation will have for farmers in respect of potential development or building when lands owned by them are designated. [14236/97]
The position in relation to developments on lands designated as special areas of conservation, SACs, or proposed for such a designation, is that those activities requiring planning permission, or for which a licence from another Minister is required, will continue to operate through the existing procedures. The role of my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is confined to giving advice on whether a development is likely to cause significant ecological damage to important natural areas, particularly those which are required to be protected under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.
The EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) specifies that no significant damage should occur to the ecology of sites designated as SACs. Planning authorities and other Ministers are required to take cognisance of these provisions when deciding on applications.
Developments with the potential to damage the ecology - other than those requiring planning permission or a licence issued by another Minister - will require my consent. Each individual application will be examined in the light of its possible impact on the environment and only those developments likely to cause significant ecological damage to an SAC will be prohibited.
414 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo can build a house in a special area of conservation on his land in view of the fact that outline planning permission has already been granted. [14237/97]
The question of whether or not planning permission is granted in any particular case is a matter for the relevant local authority. The role of my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is confined to giving advice on whether a development is likely to cause significant ecological damage to important natural areas, particularly those which are required to be protected under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. The area mentioned by the Deputy is of a type specified as a priority habitat in the Habitats Directive.
Any application for substantive planning permission for the development in question will be carefully examined, and objection will only be made by NPWS if this is the only way in which the conservation status of the area can be adequately protected.
