Under the EU Habitats Directive, each Member State is required to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for the protection of endangered habitats and species as listed in the Directive. As part of Ireland’s obligations under the Directive, 53 Special Areas of Conservation were nominated for designation between 1997 and 2002 for the protection of Active Raised Bog, Degraded Raised Bog still capable of natural regeneration and Bog Woodland. Each of these habitats is listed in Annex I of the Directive.
The choice of sites for selection as SACs arose from an extensive survey of the habitats in Ireland and the application of the scientific criteria specified in Annex III of the Directive. In short, the criteria used included:
- The degree of representivity of the natural habitat type on the site.
- The area of the site covered by the natural habitat type in relation to the total area covered by that natural habitat type within national territory.
- The degree of conservation of the structure and functions of the natural habitat type concerned and restoration possibilities.
- A global assessment of the value of the site for conservation of the natural habitat type concerned.
The reasoning behind the nomination for designation of each individual site is contained in the Natura 2000 standard data form, which can be viewed on my Department’s website at www.npws.ie. The ownership of these bogs was not a central consideration in their selection for survey or designation and there are no precise details available to my Department of the area of State or semi-State land which were surveyed or designated as raised bog SAC. I understand however, that of the 53 designated raised bog SAC there were significant amounts of State owned land in 33 of these sites at the time of survey.
My Department does not have details of the total area of raised bog owned by the State or semi-State companies.
