Dinny McGinley
Question:340 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will commission an audit of the flora and fauna in the Liffey Valley area of County Dublin. [30789/01]
Written Answers. - Natural Heritage Areas.
Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, carries out or commissions scientific surveys of habitats and species to address national conservation priorities. Localised surveys may form part of this work from time to time. In this context priority is, and will continue to be given to areas that are designated or are proposed for designation as special areas of conservation under the EU habitats directive, special protection areas under the EU birds directive and natural heritage areas under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000.
Among these designation categories Liffey Valley features as a proposed natural heritage area – site code 000128 – only. It is not proposed at this time to commission an audit of flora and fauna at this location. The following site synopsis is a summary of the scientific information that forms the basis for the proposed NHA status of this site.
Site Synopsis.
Site Name: Liffey Valley
Site Code: 000128
The Liffey Valley site is situated along the River Liffey between Leixlip Bridge on the Kildare-Dublin border and downstream of the weir at Glenaulin, Palmerstown, Co. Dublin. The river meanders through low hills for much of its course through the site and forms the focus for the site itself. The Mill Race between Palmerstown and the weir at the Wren's Nest Public House is also included in the site.
The river is a salmon river and there is a series of weirs along the river between Palmerstown and Leixlip. The water level in the Mill Race has dropped and the channel has been filled with vegetation in a number of areas as a result.
The main terrestrial habitat included within the site is mixed deciduous woodland on fertile, limey alluvium and boulder clay, in which Beech (Fagus sylvatica is dominant in some areas. Elsewhere Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Willow species (Salix spp.) are common and there are also some stands of Larch (Larix) and Scot's Pine (Pinus sylvestris). Tootwort (Lathraea squamaria) has been recorded on a number of tree species.
The ground flora commonly includes Ivy (Hedera helix), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), Voilet species (Viola spp.), Lords-and-ladies (Arum maculatum) and Hart's-Tongue Fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium). These woodlands occur on both sides of the river and normally consist of old estate woodlands.
A wet marsh occurs on the strip of land between the Mill Race and the river east of the metal bridge and west of the paint factory. This marsh is fed by seepage from the Mill Race and plant species such as Bulrush (Typha latifolia), Marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris) and Sweet-grass (Glyceria spp.) occur here. This strip of land also has rough grassland which is not regularly grazed. Much of the river bank and the banks of the Mill Race are fringed with Willow (Salix spp.) and Alder (Alnus glutinosa).
The threatened Green Figwort (Scrophularia umbrosa), a species listed in the Irish Red Data Book, is recorded from a number of stations along the river within the site. This stretch of the river Liffey has the greatest number of recently recorded populations of this species in Ireland. The Rare and legally protected Hairy St. John's-Wort (Hypericum hirstutum) (Flora Protection Order, 1987) has been recorded from woodlands in this site. This species has only been recorded in Kildare and Dublin, at sites on the river Liffey, since 1970. The threatened Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon), listed in the Irish Red Data Book, is also recorded from these woodlands.
The section of river within the site is used by conoeists. The West Link bridge spans the valley west of Palmerstown. Recent management of woodlands at Brooklawn and Quarryvale has cleared a lot of Laurel and undergrowth. Some mature Beech have been removed in this area.
This site is part of the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Areas Order, 1990. The site is important because of the diversity of the habitats within the site, ranging from aquatic to terrestrial. A num ber of rare and threatened plant species have been recorded from the site.