Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 July 2012
410 Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding talks with the EU in relation to identifying alternative areas for domestic turf cutters who have been affected by the FAC ban. [36098/12]
View answerEarlier this year, at the request of the Government, Mr. Conor Skehan, Chair of the Peatlands Council, convened a Peatlands Forum, under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice John Quirke, and involving my Department, the IFA, the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, Bord na Móna, and representatives of turf-cutting and environmental groups. This Forum allowed each community affected by the cessation of turf-cutting to put forward their views on the issues and follow-up steps were identified for each bog. In his report, Justice Quirke recommended that a national plan should be prepared to examine how the 53 raised bog Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are to be protected. This recommendation was agreed to by the Government and Dáil Éireann also gave unanimous support to a Private Members' Motion, which called for such a national plan to be put in place within the terms of the Habitats Directive.
On 3 April last, a delegation led by the Minister, Deputy Hogan, and me met the EU Environment Commissioner, Mr. Potocnik, in Brussels, where we secured the support of the European Commission for developing a National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan. This wide-ranging plan will examine the practical aspects of conserving, restoring and managing the affected bogs and will allow solutions for turf-cutters, including relocation, to be explored in detail. In the context of such a plan, it may be possible to bring some flexibility, within the terms of the Habitats Directive, that could allow limited cutting within a small number of sites where relocation may not be possible. The plan will be progressed at local level for each site and at national level through the Peatlands Council. My Department is maintaining ongoing contact with the European Commission in response to the infringement action and will continue to work closely with it in the development of the national plan. My Department is in contact with several turf-cutting groups to seek long-term resolutions to the issues for their particular bogs, including through relocation to undesignated bogs. This process will continue as part of the preparation of the National Plan.
