Vol. 525 No. 5
125 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if, in view of the importance her Department attaches to the natural heritage of Bull Island, Dublin 3, as outlined in her response to Parliamentary Question No. 11 of 29 April 1999, she will indicate the mechanism in place by way of consultation or report to ensure a satisfactory management plan is in place on the island and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25393/00]
The Habitats Directive requires the favourable conservation status of the listed habitats and species to be maintained or restored. Management plans are not a formal requirement but are one of the appropriate measures that may be used to achieve this.
My Department is preparing management plans for special areas of conservation and special protection areas as an aid to landowners and land users to meet these requirements. My Department has recently undertaken a pilot programme of public consultation regarding management plans for a number of sites, in order to establish an effective system for suitable public consultation. This system will be applied to public consultation about draft management plans for all other sites for which draft plans have been prepared, including one covering the conservation requirements of Bull Island. No plan will be finalised until after the public has been consulted.
In the meantime it should be noted that most of Bull Island is managed by Dublin Corporation which is aware of the conservation interest involved and which, in respect of planning law, is obliged to ensure the favourable conservation status of the island is maintained.
The Deputy should know that any activity or development likely to have a significant adverse impact on the site is obliged to undergo an appropriate assessment of its likely impact on the conservation interest involved.
