Joe Higgins
Question:223 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands when she will make maps of SACs, WHA and SPAs available to the public at the reasonable price of making a copy. [20251/01]
Written Answers. - Designated Areas.
The difficulty which arises in making mapping data available at nominal cost to the general public in respect of candidate special areas of conservation, special protection areas and proposed natural heritage areas is that Ordnance Survey Ireland holds copyright over the background topographical data over which the nature conservation designations are overlaid. Ordnance Survey Ireland has licensed the topographical data to Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department. The terms of this licence restrict the issue of free maps to landowners within the designated areas and interested public bodies.
I emphasise that landowners and persons holding rights within designated areas or areas proposed for designation are provided with maps free of charge as part of the notification process.
Joe Higgins
Question:224 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the reason the Curragh of Kildare is not designated as a SAC or SPA; and if she will produce a list of similar habitats which have been designated as SACs and or SPAs. [20253/01]
The Curragh of Kildare is of conservation value for a number of reasons. It is unusual in that it is an extensive open plain area of lowland acidic grassland succeeding to dry heath in places. It has been grazed, but not fertilised for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years. Because of the management regime on the open grassland, nationally important populations of rare fungi are found. Accordingly, the Curragh is proposed for designation as a natural heritage area under the Wildlife Acts, 1976 to 2000. The Curragh, however, does not meet the strict scientific criteria necessary for designation as a candidate special area of conservation – CSAC – under the European habitats directive. It does not, in fact, contain any priority habitat listed in the habitats directive.
The Curragh is of national importance for populations of wintering golden plover, a species that is listed on annex I of the EU birds directive. Flocks of 3,000 birds have been recorded regularly since the winter of 1994-95, but the golden plover is not present in internationally important numbers on this site. Lapwing, in flocks of approximately 200 birds, also occur regularly on the site. The ungrazed grasslands of the turf club are used by nesting meadow pipit and skylark. No site with similar habitat has been designated as a special protection area – SPA – under the birds directive.