Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 April 2014
31. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which he and his Department have had discussions with other Departments, with particular reference to the impact of special areas of conservation on river or waterway catchment areas in view of the extent to which the need for flood alleviation and prevention has become obvious in recent times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18046/14]
View answerMy Department maintains ongoing contact with the Office of Public Works, local authorities and other relevant agencies in relation to the management of protected rivers and other areas. In relation to the recent the winter storms, I would refer the Deputy to the guide produced by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, entitled Guide to Works and Development Consents for Repairing Infrastructure Damaged in Storms or other Emergency Events. This issued in response to the legal and other issues raised by the storms and floods of last winter. The guide was drawn up jointly by my Department, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport, and the Office of Public Works, following extensive discussions. The guide addresses, among other matters, the issue of biodiversity and compliance with the applicable EU law protecting nature sites. The guide is available on my Department's website at www.ahg.gov.ie.
