Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jun 1998

Vol. 493 No. 3

Written Answers. - Afforestation Programme.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

350 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if it is the policy of her Department to discourage coniferous afforestation by any means in areas covered by national heritage areas, special areas of conservation or special protection area designations or in areas where landowners have committed to the REP scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15863/98]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

It is the policy of my Department to ensure that the ecological interest of sites of special ecological importance are conserved. The European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997, provide for the control of forestry, including coniferous afforestation, in proposed candidate special areas of conservation (SACs) and special protection areas (SPAs). Within proposed candidate SACs, consent must be obtained from the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands before potentially damaging activities can be carried out. In most proposed candidate SACs, consent must be obtained before trees can be planted and, in some habitats, before tree felling or the removal of timber.

In regard to all sites of special ecological importance, the general policy is not to grant-aid forestry where it would be likely to have a detrimental effect on the ecological interest of such sites. For example, it is a specific provision of the forest grant scheme administered by the forest service that applications in respect of areas designated or proposed for designation as SACs or SPAs are ineligible for grant aid in cases where this would damage the ecological interest. The National Parks and Wildlife section of Dúchas, the Heritage Service of my Department, is also consulted by the forest service in relation to projects which might adversely affect proposed natural heritage areas (NHAs).

With regard to the rural environment protection scheme and forestry, while this is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, I understand that areas covered by the scheme are not eligible for grant-aid in respect of forestry.

The Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts and the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations are also relevant. Presently, initial afforestation above the threshold of 70 hectares and the replacement of broadleaf high forest with conifers above a threshold ten hectares require planning permission and an EIA. The 70 hectare threshold for initial afforestation, which will be reviewed in three years, is a reduction from that of 200 hectares which applied until October 1996. In addition, planning permission and an EIA is now required for "add-on" forestry (afforestation within 500 metres of existing forestry by the same developer in a three year period) where the 70 hectare threshold would be exceeded.