Written Answers Nos. 118-126
118. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position in regard to an application (details supplied) in County Kildare; the reasons it was not included in recent granted applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53425/13]
View answerAn application for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme has been received by my Department from the individual referred to in the Deputy’s Question. The qualifying criteria for the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme are that:
- The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation – ownership or turbary right;
- The claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;
- The turbary on the site must not be exhausted;
- The claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and
- No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
Following two inspections by officials of my Department of the plot of bog in respect of which the applicant has applied for compensation, it appears that no turf has been cut on the land during the relevant five year period. My Department has indicated to the solicitor acting for the applicant that it appears that no turf has been cut on the land during the relevant five year period. The solicitor has requested that the case be reviewed by the Department and the outcome of this review will be forwarded to the solicitor in the coming weeks.
119. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the cost of reopening the Ulster Canal; the number of phases involved; if an application has been made to the EU for funding; if matching funding will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53443/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, in July 2007, the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) agreed to proceed with the restoration of the section of the Ulster Canal between Clones and Upper Lough Erne. The then Government agreed to cover the full capital costs of the project, which were estimated at that time to be of the order of €35m. It was always the intention that the Ulster Canal project would be funded from the Waterways Ireland annual allocations, as agreed through the annual estimates processes in this jurisdiction, as well as the deliberations of NSMC in relation to annual budgets. It was a key consideration throughout the process that the Ulster Canal project would be supported by a significant level of projected income from the commercialisation of certain Waterways Ireland assets. However, the economic downturn has had a negative impact on those plans.
I am continuing to explore all possible options to advance this project within the current fiscal constraints. In this regard, I established an Inter-Agency Group on the Ulster Canal to explore ways to advance the project and to examine possible funding options for it, including existing funding streams and the leveraging of funding from other sources. This includes the exploration of any EU funding which may be potentially available. The Ulster Canal project is progressing on an incremental basis. Planning approvals have now been received for the project in both jurisdictions. Work on land maps is continuing, as is consideration of construction and other technical aspects of the project. I welcome these developments, which, I am sure the Deputy will agree, are a significant milestone for the project.
120. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if grants are available to undertake maintenance work on a listed building (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53471/13]
View answerI am currently finalising details for a new Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme, which I hope to announce shortly, to assist with works to safeguard protected structures, in private and civic ownership, protected under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2012. An allocation of €5 million in stimulus capital has been announced in Budget 2014 for this scheme. It is intended that this scheme will leverage private capital for investment in a significant number of labour intensive, small-scale, renovation projects. Whilst the details of the scheme are yet to be announced, it is envisaged that the local government system will administer the scheme. Once the scheme is announced, the Deputy could refer to the local authority in question regarding details of potential funding for the project referred to.
121. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 133 of 5 December 2013, if he will confirm when the recent study of the hen harrier population in the Mullaghareirk and Boggeragh SPA was concluded; if he will outline the findings of this study in detail and the progress made to date in respect of the threat response plan; if he will identify the personnel involved from the various agencies and Departments in devising this threat response plan; the number of meetings held to date on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53487/13]
View answerThe process of formulating a Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 is under way. My Department has contracted a raptor specialist to undertake site and wider countryside risk assessments, informed by the identification of the current pressures and threats operating on the hen harrier population in Ireland. The specialist will also compile and analyse hen harrier related population and habitat data to help assist in our understanding of the ecological processes relating to the hen harrier. This work has been under way since the summer of this year. As the Deputy will appreciate, this kind of scientific analysis will take some time before it produces enough meaningful data for use to assist in the advancement of the process, such as allowing for the development of appropriate objectives for the Threat Response Plan.
Officials from my Department have already met with officials of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss the process. The next step will be to formally establish an Inter-Departmental Working Group. My officials will be in communication with other appropriate Departments to this end shortly. Initially, the Working Group will comprise officials from those Departments, but it may be extended to include other relevant public bodies.
According to the National Hen Harrier Survey carried out during 2010 and published in 2012, hen harrier numbers in the Stack’s to Mullaghareirk SPA have declined by more than 35% since the last national survey in 2005. This is contrary to the reported situation with the national population, where the total number of breeding birds recorded was broadly stable since the last national survey. However, it should be noted that the accuracy of these reported estimates of change are somewhat complicated due to increased survey effort during 2010 compared to the 2005 survey. The causes of the severe regional declines remain largely unknown, but potentially contributing factors are outlined in the survey report, including a deterioration of habitat availability and quality.
A research project concerning hen harrier in its upland breeding areas, known as PLANFORBIO, was completed in 2012. The full details of the findings of both studies can be accessed through the following links:
http://www.npws.ie/publications/irishwildlifemanuals/IWM59.pdf
http://www.ucc.ie/en/planforbio/projects/henharrier/
122. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there is funding available to further restore a building of historical interest (details supplied); if he will provide details of the grant schemes available in all respects, including tax breaks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53495/13]
View answerI am currently finalising details for a new Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme, which I hope to announce shortly, to assist with works to safeguard protected structures, in private and civic ownership, protected under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2012. An allocation of €5 million in stimulus capital has been announced in Budget 2014 for this scheme. It is intended that this scheme will leverage private capital for investment in a significant number of labour intensive, small-scale, renovation projects. Whilst the details of the scheme are yet to be announced, it is envisaged that the local government system will administer the scheme. Once the scheme is announced, the Deputy could refer to the local authority in question regarding details of potential funding for the project referred to.
123. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if, through his Department or any of the State agencies funded by it, funding has being supplied to a facility (details supplied). [53507/13]
View answerMy Department has not provided funding to the facility referred to by the Deputy. I am further advised that no funding was provided to the facility in question by any of the bodies funded by my Department's vote group.
124. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he is concerned about the resignation of the language commissioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53617/13]
View answerI was informed by An Coimisinéir Teanga, Mr. Seán Ó Cuirreáin, on 4 December that he had written to the President regarding his decision to resign in February 2014, after ten years in the post and two years before his term of office expires in February 2016. An Coimisinéir Teanga made a public announcement to that effect later that day at a hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions in the context of a discussion of his annual report for 2012. I have expressed my appreciation to An Coimisinéir Teanga, both personally and publicly, for his achievements during his time in office. As the first Coimisinéir Teanga, he established the office with a sense of vision and purpose, and the high esteem in which he is held by the Irish language and Gaeltacht community is well earned. I regret that An Coimisinéir Teanga has decided not to complete his term of office but I respect his decision in the matter.
The process of selecting a new Coimisinéir Teanga will commence shortly and the matter will be brought to Government in due course. Under section 20(3) of the Official Languages Act, the appointment of An Coimisinéir Teanga is made by the President on the advice of the Government, following a resolution passed by Dáil Éireann and by Seanad Éireann recommending the appointment of the person.
125. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to his comments that Irish biofuel is from waste material and that we do not use any food crop in its manufacture, if his attention has been drawn to the inaccuracy of this statement as according to the National Oil Reserves Agency's 2012 annual report on the biofuels obligation scheme, document No. 457-X0098 rev. 2, September 2013 (details supplied), all of the 38,522,508 litres of bioethanol used in Ireland were from food crops maize, sugar cane and wheat and approximately one tenth of this , 3.8 million litres, were from Guatemalan sugar cane, all amounting to 45% of the biodiesel used in Ireland in 2012 coming from food crops. [53491/13]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 301 (53056/13) of 10 December 2013.
126. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the funding East Clare Community Co-Op Society Ltd. received from his Department in 2010 to 2012, inclusive, and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53408/13]
View answerMy Department has not provided funding to East Clare Community Co-Op Society Limited in the years referenced by the Deputy.
