Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 January 2016
508. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the ownership and the sporting rights the National Parks and Wildlife Service has on lands in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2912/16]
View answerLand and turbary rights in County Westmeath have been purchased under the Voluntary Bog Purchase Scheme administered by my Department and are registered, or pending registration, with the Property Registration Authority of Ireland, as outlined in the following table.
|
Number of acquisitions |
Hectares of land in County Westmeath |
Registered with the PRAI in the ownership of the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
Pending registration with the PRAI in the ownership of the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
|
42 |
384.4712 |
Yes |
- |
|
6 |
93.5832 |
- |
Yes |
Certain lands in County Westmeath have been transferred by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to the ownership of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, as outlined in the table below.
|
Number of transfers |
Hectares of land in County Westmeath |
Registered with the PRAI in the ownership of the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
Pending registration with the PRAI in the ownership of the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht |
|
1 |
2.787 |
Yes |
- |
The details of other land in County Westmeath under the control of my Department for nature conservation purposes are outlined in the table below. The land is registered in the name of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, including by virtue of various Transfer of Functions Orders, when nature conservation functions have been transferred from one Minister to another.
|
Location |
Hectares of land in County Westmeath |
|
Scragh Bog Nature Reserve |
22.8 |
|
Lough Owel Forest, Piercefield |
c.17 |
|
Long Hill Esker |
c.11 |
|
Crosswood Bog |
9.5 |
|
Ballinderry |
38.39 |
|
Ballinafid Lake |
c. 18 |
The Irish Land Commission was dissolved in 1992 and I understand that its successor in law is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In 1988, the then Irish Land Commission nominally transferred management of shooting rights to the Wildlife Service, which is now the National Parks and Wildlife Service, a constituent part of my Department.
I am advised that there are no actively managed leases of shooting rights by my Department in County Westmeath at present.
