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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2003

Vol. 560 No. 3

Written Answers. - Special Areas of Conservation.

Michael Ring

Question:

120 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the funding which has been allocated to the Ballycroy National Park, County Mayo to date; the way in which this money has been spent; and the details of the projected costs of this project. [2303/03]

Michael Ring

Question:

141 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the status of Ballycroy National Park; when the centre will be built in Ballycroy; when the park will be opened to visitors; the type of infrastructure that is planned for the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2302/03]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 141 together.

Ballycroy National Park, County Mayo, was designated as such with effect from 1 November 1998. It comprises 11,800 hectares of some of the most important blanket bog in Europe, which is located in the Owenduff-Nephin Beg area of north-west Mayo. The national park has the status of a category 2 national park under the guidelines of the IUCN, which is the World Conservation Union and is affiliated to the United Nations. The IUCN is the international authority which sets the criteria for the protected areas of the world.

Ballycroy National Park is already accessible to the visitor along the Bangor trail, south of Bangor Erris, as well as from Srahmore – points which are to the north and south of the national park, respectively. Due to the sensitive nature of the landscape of the national park and its designation as a special area of conservation under the EU Habitats Directive, 1992, my Department has developed a proposal to construct a visitor centre in the village of Ballycroy which, it is intended, will interpret the park and will attract a larger number of visitors to the general area. A provision of €3.8 million was indicated under the National Development Plan 2000-06 to finance this project. I am pleased to inform the House that an attractive and extensive site, comprising 42.33 hectares, 125 acres, and with significant road frontage has already been purchased by my Department for the proposed visitor centre in the village of Ballycroy. Expenditure on design fees for the project and land acquisition totals €406,709 to date.

The visitor centre project is being developed by my Department in consultation with representatives of the various local community organisations in Ballycroy, as well as with the Office of Public Works and Mayo County Council, and plans for the proposed scheme are at an advanced stage. It is the intention that these plans would be complemented by sewage treatment works for the village of Ballycroy, as well as access roads and bus and car parking on the purchased site for the visitor centre itself, to be undertaken by Mayo County Council.

I am currently undertaking a review of my Department's capital heritage programme under the national development plan with a view to prioritising and rescheduling relevant projects. Implementation of the Ballycroy National Park Visitor Centre and other planned projects will be addressed in this context.

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