Special Areas of Conservation

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Questions (291)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

291. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of raised bogs in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18337/22]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Deputy Malcolm Noonan)

Raised Bogs are extremely rare in global and European terms. Ireland holds approximately 50% of all raised bogs remaining in the Atlantic region of North West Europe and so we have a particular responsibility for their conservation at an international level.

The National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022, approved by government and published in 2017, sets out a roadmap for the effective management and conservation of Ireland's raised bog Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas, which represents approximately 9% of the original raised bog resource.

Ireland has designated 55 raised bogs as Special Areas of Conservation in accordance with the Habitats Directive, selected for active raised bog habitat. 75 raised bogs are designated as Natural Heritage Areas under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000.

In county Kerry, 2 raised bogs are designated as Special Areas of Conservation for the conservation of active raised bog with a further 2 raised bogs designated as Natural Heritage Areas selected for the conservation of raised bog. Further details on these bogs are set out in the table under.

Raised Bog Name	Site Code	Designation	Other details
Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog Special Area of Conservation	000382	Special Area of Conservation	This bog lies 2 km south-east of Killarney in Co. Kerry, in a depression within a high ridge (103 m). It has developed by succession from a small lake to a ridge basin bog with similarities to a raised bog. The bog is rather unique in an Irish context as it is the only raised bog system to be completely surrounded by a wet lagg zone.
Moanveanlagh Bog Special Area of Conservation	002351	Special Area of Conservation	Situated in Co. Kerry approximately 6 km east of Listowel, mainly within the townlands of Carhooeara and Bunagarha. The site comprises a raised bog that includes both areas of high bog and cutover bog.
Bunnaruddee Bog Natural Heritage Area	001352	Natural Heritage Area	Situated approximately 4 km west of Moyvane in the townlands of Bunaruddee, Leitrim West and Lamore, Co. Kerry. The site comprises a raised bog that includes both areas of high bog and cutover bog.
AnnaMore Bog Natural Heritage Area	000333	Natural Heritage Area	Approximately 4 km south of Castleisland, mainly in the townlands of Anna More and Ballybeg in County Kerry. The site comprises a raised bog that includes both areas of high bog and cutover bog.

Information on the number of other non-designated raised bogs in county Kerry is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

The National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022, approved by government and published in 2017, sets out a roadmap for the effective management and conservation of Irelands raised bog Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage Areas, which represents approximately 9% of the original raised bog resource.

Raised Bog Name	Site Code	Designation	Other details
Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog Special Area of Conservation	000382	Special Area of Conservation	This bog lies 2 km south-east of Killarney in Co. Kerry, in a depression within a high ridge (103 m). It has developed by succession from a small lake to a ridge basin bog with similarities to a raised bog. The bog is rather unique in an Irish context as it is the only raised bog system to be completely surrounded by a wet lagg zone.
Moanveanlagh Bog Special Area of Conservation	002351	Special Area of Conservation	Situated in Co. Kerry approximately 6 km east of Listowel, mainly within the townlands of Carhooeara and Bunagarha. The site comprises a raised bog that includes both areas of high bog and cutover bog.
Bunnaruddee Bog Natural Heritage Area	001352	Natural Heritage Area	Situated approximately 4 km west of Moyvane in the townlands of Bunaruddee, Leitrim West and Lamore, Co. Kerry. The site comprises a raised bog that includes both areas of high bog and cutover bog.
AnnaMore Bog Natural Heritage Area	000333	Natural Heritage Area	Approximately 4 km south of Castleisland, mainly in the townlands of Anna More and Ballybeg in County Kerry. The site comprises a raised bog that includes both areas of high bog and cutover bog.

The 3 maps under show the distribution of remnant raised bogs in County Kerry. This information is a compilation of information gathered as part of surveys carried out by National Parks and Wildlife Services of my Department and data layers from the CORINE mapping programme. The CORINE Land Cover dataset consists of an inventory of land cover (not habitats) in 44 classes. CORINE Land Cover uses a Minimum Mapping Unit of 25 hectares for areas and a minimum width of 100 metres for linear features. CORINE Land Cover is produced by visual interpretation of high-resolution satellite imagery.

Note that some of the areas on the map that were mapped by CORINE as peatland habitat have only small remnants of bog/peatland habitat remaining and shouldn’t be treated as ‘raised bogs’, see further explanation below. They have been included in the maps for completeness and give an overall impression of areas that currently retain peatland habitat but also areas that once may have contained more extensive areas of peatland habitat.

The colour scheme on the maps is as follows:

1. Yellow – these denote areas of mostly intact ‘high bog’ within designated raised bog sites , with their site names labelled on each map. ‘High bog’ habitat is the term used to denote habitat on deep peat that equates to the remnants of the original raised bog where the peat has not been removed. These areas are all surrounded by ‘cutover bog’ that is mostly part of the designated area also. ‘Cutover bog’ means areas where the peat has been largely extracted. In respect of the question posed these areas should be considered as ‘raised bog’.

2. Red – these areas represent areas where there remains ‘high bog’ habitat within non-designated bogs. These areas (combined with the designated bogs) best represent extant raised bog and there are a total of 19 sites, varying in size from 3 hectares to 251 hectares.

3. Green – these are areas where there is little or no ‘high bog’ remaining and they comprise cutover bog, and which may include areas of conifer plantation or lands reclaimed for agriculture. Most were probably formerly raised bogs, although field surveys would be necessary to clarify their exact status, and some may include areas of fen habitat. Many have areas of ‘high bog’ habitat (outlined in red, as per point No. 2 above) within them. These areas should not be considered as ‘raised bog’ unless they have a central portion of high bog habitat.