Vol. 481 No. 1
216 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the areas and locations in each county to be determined as natural heritage areas and proposed special areas of conservation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15737/97]
: The proposed Natural Heritage Areas were advertised in provincial newspapers between 4 November 1994 and 25 May 1995. As advertised these areas covered approximately 750,000 hectares.
Since the original determinations some boundaries have been revised as a result of appeals and additional survey work. As the appeal process will continue for some time, no up-dated land area figures are presently available and these will not be calculated until after the boundary revisions have been completed.
The proposals to establish Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) were notified in provincial newspapers in March 1997. The proposals are subject to revision following appeals on an informal and formal basis. The formal appeals will begin shortly and until such time as the appeal process is completed, and the boundaries are finalised, the areas of the current suite of proposed SACs cannot be calculated. The areas advertised cover some 590,000 hectares of land and water.
Next year additional SAC sites will be proposed and this will increase the land area involved in the scheme by an estimated 30-40,000 hectares.
I have arranged for an atlas of maps, indicating the location of proposed SACs, to be forwarded separately to the Deputy.
