Ireland is making significant progress in ensuring that the Birds and Habitats Directives are correctly implemented. Since coming into office, I have placed a high priority on addressing the implications of a number of findings against Ireland by the European Court of Justice regarding deficiencies in implementation.
Ireland has been found against in four separate cases relating to inadequate transposition or implementation of these Directives. While these cases have largely been resolved, a number of additional pre-court infringement cases are also being addressed by my Department and the European Commission.
The European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, which I signed into law in September 2011, bring legal clarity in regard to obligations under these Directives in respect of a range of consent processes. These updated regulations, along with changes to the Planning and Development Acts, clarify the legal responsibilities of public authorities and of citizens in regard to the protection of endangered species and habitats. They also provide tools for relevant public authorities to pursue those who commit offences.
A comprehensive designation programme being undertaken by my Department of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs), known collectively as the Natura 2000 network, is now almost complete. Measures are being taken to ensure that particular pressures on protected birds, species and habitats are addressed in terms of regulation and practice. These include a wide range of activities, including, but not limited to, aquaculture and fishery licensing, planning and development, forestry consents, agricultural practices, recreational activities in certain areas, turf-cutting on certain sites and arterial drainage.
Compensation or financial incentives may be payable in respect of land within Natura 2000 sites in a number of ways. Significant amounts of EU and Exchequer funding are provided through the rural development programme, operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which provides for a range of supports for farmers, including specific payments in respect of areas selected for designation under the Birds and Habitats Directives.
My Department also administers a small-scale farm plan scheme, which supports farmers in adopting appropriate management practices in the Natura 2000 network. These include supports for sheep destocking on western hills, for managing land for corncrakes and hen harriers, and, separately, as part-contribution to schemes such as the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme. It should be noted that the main farm plan scheme operated by my Department is currently closed to new applicants.
In addition, my Department has also put in place a comprehensive compensation scheme for those affected by the cessation of turf cutting on raised bogs selected as SACs under the Habitats Directive.
Expenditure so far this year by my Department on these schemes amounts to some €4.86 million. I am not in a position, at this stage, to give an estimate for expenditure on these schemes in 2014.
