Special Areas of Conservation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 May 2012

Thursday, 17 May 2012

Questions (91, 92)

Clare Daly

Question:

93 Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount paid for the 250 acres Bullrush Bog acquired by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. [24640/12]

Clare Daly

Question:

94 Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures he will take to deal with the miles of open drains on the Bullrush Bog, with water gushing out onto the adjoining lands. [24641/12]

Written answers

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Deputy Jimmy Deenihan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together.

Under the provisions of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations, and the Wildlife Acts, compensation is payable in certain circumstances where existing activities must cease for the conservation of a protected site.

Bulrush, a large-scale commercial peat extraction company, had operations ongoing in Mouds Bog Special Area of Conservation and Nure Bog Natural Heritage Area, two sites nominated for the protection of raised bog habitat. Following proposals in 2002 to designate these sites as Special Areas of Conservation the company was compelled to cease turf-extraction activity within these sites and applied for compensation for the losses that it suffered.

Following protracted negotiations a settlement was reached with Bulrush in December 2011. Under the terms of the settlement, my Department agreed to purchase the Bulrush landholdings in both sites (circa 350 acres) for €150,000. The sale of this land has not yet closed. Compensation amounting to €2.35m was paid for the losses arising from the requirement to cease commercial operations as part of this settlement.

The longer term management of the sites, including restoration, will require existing drainage arrangements, including those on Bulrush lands, to be examined and addressed. It is important that such action be undertaken with careful consideration and planning as it has the potential to impact significantly on surrounding lands. General issues in relation to raised bog restoration will be considered in the proposed national SAC raised bog management plan which my Department and the Peatlands Council will be preparing, as called for in the recent Dáil motion on SAC raised bogs. In this context my Department is committed to ensuring that restoration issues, including drainage, are considered in full consultation with local landowners and stakeholders to ensure the minimum of impact on surrounding landowners.