Vol. 481 No. 3
125 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if her Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service lodged an objection with Mayo County Council to a planning proposal in a special area of conservation in Mayo in view of the situation of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [15980/97]
The area in question is a priority habitat for the purposes of the EU Habitats Directive and as such the State is required to afford it the highest level of protection. There are a number of proposals for housing development in this area. The proposal referred to by the Deputy has been assessed by my Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service and I am advised that this development would have a significant adverse impact on the site. Accordingly, my Department, which is responsible for nature conservation in Ireland including implementation of the Habitats Directive, had no alternative but to object to the proposed housing development.
