Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2012
399 Deputy Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he stands over his statement that 30% of the protected bogs had already been irrevocably damaged; the reason we should try to protect these bogs if they are irrevocably damaged; if he will name those bogs which he believes to be irrevocably damaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32026/12]
View answerThe context of the statement referred to by the Deputy related to the Raised Bog Monitoring Project 2004-05 (Fernandez, F, Fanning, M, McCorry, M & Crowley W), which concluded that there had been an overall one-third decrease in the area of active raised bog habitat on 48 sites studied over a ten year period. Active raised bog (habitat type 7110), which is a priority habitat under the Habitats Directive, is the area where conditions are right for typical species of raised bog flora and fauna to thrive and for peat to form. This area is very sensitive to drainage arising from turf-cutting and other pressures.
Turf-cutting directly removes one protected habitat type — degraded raised bog still capable of natural regeneration — and reduces the area of active raised bog through its effects on the water levels on the high bog. The report noted that while only 1-2% of the high bog had been cut away over the study period, the impact on active raised bog was far more dramatic. The face bank cutting causes direct drainage effects on the adjacent high bog and further drainage is required to dry the spreadground. These drainage effects severely impact active raised bog and evidence of this impact can be regularly observed several hundred meters from the face bank.
Areas of active raised bogs may be restored through blocking drains and other works so that peat formation conditions return — that is, if bogs are not damaged beyond repair. Peat lost by cutting would take thousands of years to recover. Continued cutting and drainage makes restoration more difficult and, unless action is taken now, it is clear that much of Ireland's remaining raised bog habitat will be irrevocably lost.
400 Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline the level of consultation and discussions he has had with the EU and the Commission in relation to ensuring that areas designated as national heritage areas are not subject to such restrictions that could inhibit persons from harvesting turf for their own use, and in particular that his Department would progress these discussions to a definitive conclusion, which would facilitate persons to utilise these areas for turf cutting without restriction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32201/12]
View answerIn May 2010, the then Government decided that turf-cutting should come to an end on all raised bog Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). The Programme for Government undertook to review the situation with regard to NHAs and the future of turf-cutting on such sites will be considered as part of that review.
It is expected that the review will be completed prior to the commencement of the 2014 turf-cutting season.
Relevant issues in relation to EU law will be fully explored with the European Commission as part of the review process.
