Vol. 483 No. 5
54 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will bring forward an action programme to have areas of importance for flora and fauna listed in a similar way to the means available to list aspects of the built environment. [20648/97]
The listing of areas of natural importance is already being addressed.
The EU Habitats Directive, which was transposed into Irish law on 26 February 1997, by the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997 (S. I. No. 94 of 1997), requires member states to protect their most important natural areas by listing and designating them as special areas of conservation (SACs) and by protecting their ecological status thereafter.
The main part of Ireland's SAC proposals were notified to landowners thought to be affected and advertised in provincial newspapers and on local radio earlier this year. A number of sites are the subject of appeals and I will not formally notify the EU Commission of those sites until appeals have been resolved. I hope that this can be achieved by next April. The possibility as to whether sites on which there have been no appeals could be notified at an earlier date is under consideration at present.
In addition, over 100 special protection areas (SPAs) have already been designated under the terms of the 1979 EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). These are areas of particular importance for wild birds.
55 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the action, if any, her Department has taken or intends to take in relation to measuring and to dealing with the damage done to birdlife, sea mammals, fish and shell fish as a result of the recent oil spill in Cork Harbour. [20692/97]
Officials of the national parks and wildlife service (NPWS) of my Department have been actively involved in monitoring and dealing with the consequences of the unfortunate oil spill in Cork Harbour and wildlife management staff have been drafted in from adjacent areas to assist in the operation. The NPWS has also been in regular contact with the oil refinery, the Environmental Protection Agency, the local authority with responsibility for the clean up operation and local voluntary bodies in relation to the impact of the oil spill. In excess of 1,400 birds, mostly guillemots, together with two seals and three otters, are known to have died directly as a result of the spillage and I am advised that it is likely that there were further casualties in the more remote areas which have not as yet come to attention. On the information available to date, the impact of the spillage on fish stocks will be minimal.
