Bord na Móna

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2017

Thursday, 1 June 2017

Questions (104)

Catherine Martin

Question:

104. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if in establishing a new regulatory regime for large scale peat extraction he will ensure that this new regime is consistent with the ruling of the European Court of Justice in Commission v. Ireland C 215/06 particularly in view of the impermissibility of granting retrospective consent for a development requiring an environmental impact assessment. [26324/17]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

As I indicated to the Deputy in my reply to Question Nos. 278 and 281 of 23 May 2017, under the proposed new consent system for large-scale peat extraction, the Environmental Protection Agency will be required to carry out an environmental impact assessment as part of its examination of applications for licences to commence peat extraction of 30 hectares or more on or after the date that the Regulations come into effect, or to continue such peat extractions from a future date to be determined in accordance with the Regulations.  The licences will not include any element of retrospective consent for past large-scale peat extraction.