Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019
49. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the progress made on protecting the 11 peat habitats listed for special protection under EU directives since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8596/19]
View answerIreland’s peatlands, occurring as raised bogs, blankets bogs or fens are unique on a national and global scale. Ireland recognised the importance of these peatlands and took steps to protect the best remaining bogs through designation as special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas. Between 1997 and 2002, Ireland nominated 53 raised bog sites for designation as special areas of conservation. 75 raised bog natural heritage areas have also been designated under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 to supplement the raised bog special area of conservation network. Ireland has also identified 50 areas as special areas of conservation for the protection of blanket bog. A further 73 sites containing blanket bog habitat have been designated as natural heritage areas under Irish law. 67 sites have been selected for conservation for one or more Habitats Directive Annex I fen habitat in Ireland.
Ireland has approximately 60% of the remaining raised bog habitat in Western Europe. Most of Ireland’s raised bog peatlands are no longer of ecological interest as they have been cut over. For conservation purposes, there has been a need to restrict turf-cutting on a number of sites to protect the best of our remaining active raised bog habitat.
Significant efforts have been made by the State to resolve the issue of the protection of Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation, within the framework of the EU Habitats Directive. This has included the establishment of the Peatlands Council, intensive and on-going engagement with turf cutting interests, the farming community, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission, as well as the establishment of a long-term compensation scheme for affected turf cutters. The aim is to address the needs of turf cutters as part of an overall raised bog designated network solution, as set out in the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022. This involves a balance of protecting traditional rights, providing compensation where these rights are curtailed and seeking to facilitate feasible alternatives where possible, while working to ensure that Ireland meets its legal obligations.
The national restoration programme for Ireland’s raised bog special areas of conservation and natural heritage areas is contained within this Plan. It is intended to restore all designated raised bogs within 3 cycles, with the first cycle operating for the duration of the Management Plan.
Work on the restoration programme has already begun with a €5.4m project ‘The Living Bog’ which is co-funded under the EU LIFE 2014-2020 programme. My Department is managing this project and is contributing €1.352m with the European Commission providing €4.056m.
The Living Bog project, which commenced in 2016 and will conclude at the end of 2020, aims to restore the favourable conservation condition and increase the area for active raised bog by 277 hectares on the 12 raised bog special area of conservation project sites. This will contribute to the national objective of achieving favourable conservation status for active raised bog in Ireland.
In tandem with the LIFE project, the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is undertaking restoration works on State owned lands within the protected raised bog network.
