Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Apr 2001

Vol. 534 No. 4

Other Questions. - Protection of Habitats and Species.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

37 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if she has satisfied herself that sufficient resources have been provided to Dúchas to enable them to effectively carry out their statutory duties to monitor and protect areas already designated for listed habitats and species; the new areas to be added to this list shortly; if she will give details of the areas so listed, including the location and approximate acreage of each; the numbers and grades of staff assigned to monitor and protect these listed areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8600/01]

Miss de Valera

The monitoring and protection of designated areas is carried out principally by 118 national parks and wildlife regional staff attached to Dúchas, the Heritage Service of my Department. Their numbers and grades are as follows: 90 conservation rangers, ten district conservation officers, nine deputy regional managers/regional ecologists – inspectors grade III, six regional managers – inspectors grade II, and three divisional managers – inspectors grade I.

The resources required by my Department to meet changing statutory responsibilities are constantly under review. I am satisfied that the staffing resources outlined, which are a substantial increase on those in place before the habitats directive was implemented, are reasonable at the present time.

I have no immediate proposals to add to the existing list of 362 candidate SACs, apart from the position as outlined in my separate reply to the Deputy regarding salmon sites. Having regard to the number and extent of candidate SACs that I have now proposed, I anticipate that Ireland's proposals will be found sufficient for most habitats and species at the second Atlantic region seminar. Only then will it become clear whether Ireland should propose more sites for particular habitats or species, in order to contribute to the Natura 2000 network in proportion to the contributions of other member states.

I am arranging for details of all areas proposed as candidate SACs to be supplied to the Deputy.

Mr. Stagg

Will the Minister indicate to the House if she has made a decision on the number of habitat sites to be designated for the preservation of salmon? Will she indicate the location of these sites and if she is considering further sites?

Miss de Valera

The particular sites are being considered in the Department with regard to salmon. The other sites should be found sufficient but we will know more on that when we get further feedback.

Mr. Stagg

Given that the Minister stated to her private secretary on 6 September that the definitive position in relation to salmon sites would be made by March 2001, will she explain the reason for the delay? Has the Minister seen the extensive list of proposals for salmon sites that have been submitted to her Department? Given the threat to Atlantic salmon and our particular importance in that regard, will she agree to maximise the number of sites that would be so designated?

Miss de Valera

The Deputy has a specific question with regard to salmon further down on the Order Paper and I have a reply prepared for it. The question before us concerns the sufficient resources and sites in general. That is the reason my reply referred to that more general information.

Mr. Stagg

Will the Minister agree that the intention of the habitats directive is to give special protection status to these sites and that special resources would have to be provided to these sites when they are so designated? Will she seek to maximise the conservation efforts in that regard by designating the maximum number of sites rather than the minimum?

Miss de Valera

That question will be examined in consultation with those who have particular expertise in the field, for example, fishery boards and so on. They will be asked for their view and it will be on foot of that information that the further designations will be made with regard to salmon.

Mr. Stagg

Is the Minister satisfied that the Dúchas staff have now been reduced by her decisions on advisory roles rather than the hands-on implementing role they had previously? Will she agree that their effectiveness arising from that decision, and the lack of equipment provided to them in the various extensive sites, particularly in the west, makes it impossible for them to carry out their tasks effectively?

Miss de Valera

The sweeping question the Deputy has put has no foundation. In an area such as Dúchas we could never have enough people to do the kind of work they do—

Mr. Stagg

I am quoting from the Minister's own letter.

Miss de Valera

—but we have sufficient resources to carry out the responsibilities of the Department.

Mr. Stagg

The sweeping statement is in the Minister's own answer.

Mr. Browne

(Carlow-Kilkenny): The Minister is the Minister for the Islands. I tabled a question about islands and it was transferred to the Taoiseach's Department. Do they think the Minister cannot count—

Mr. Kirk

We will have to deal with that matter elsewhere.

Mr. Browne

(Carlow-Kilkenny): In fairness, she is the Minister for the Islands.