Vol. 504 No. 7
291 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if all proposed esker sites under Directive 92/43/EEC have been submitted to Brussels; the number which remain outstanding; the location of both sets of sites; the proposed compensation for these sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12652/99]
Eight sites which include esker habitat have been formally transmitted to the European Commission as follows: a) Coolcam Turlough, counties Galway and Roscommon; b) All Saints Bog and Esker, County Offaly; c) Clara Bog, County Offaly; d) Ridge Road, south west of Rapemills, County Offaly; e) The Long Derries, County Offaly; f) Pilgrim's Road Esker, County Offaly; g) Castlesampson Esker, County Roscommon and h) Split Hills and Long Hill Esker, County Westmeath.
One esker site remains to be transmitted viz. Lough Nanag Esker, County Offaly.
Compensation available through my Department to any landowner or land user, is based on actual losses experienced and costs incurred by them in meeting any requirements imposed as a consequence of designation as a special area of conservation or special protection area.
292 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if officials of DG-XI of the EU Commission have given approval to her Department's proposal to allow licensed turf cutting in west Roscommon; the objections, if any, they raised relating to the proposal; the restrictions, if any, they imposed on this proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12653/99]
I presume the Deputy is referring to the decision which I took to allow turf cutting for domestic purposes to be phased out over ten years in raised bogs, proposed as special areas of conservation. While decisions such as this are within the competence of the member state, the Minister of State at my Department and I discussed the matter in January last with officials of DG-XI who raised no objections nor suggested any restrictions.
