Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
634. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the rights that affected adjacent property holders have in situations in which the National Parks and Wildlife Service carry out land rewetting on property that it has acquired or is owned by a State agency, given how this can affect neighbouring properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12014/24]
View answerUnder the National Raised Bog Restoration programme, conservation measures are undertaken on Ireland's protected raised bogs to restore these important habitats to favourable conservation status. This is done by restoring the water table to a level where the bog is wet enough to support the growth of sphagnum moss, which assists in the formation of peat.
It is important to note that the restoration of peatlands, including bogs, at an adequate scale can help reduce flooding in their catchments, as their capacity to hold water and release it slowly is greatly enhanced.
Before commencing rehabilitation work at each site, detailed restoration plans and drainage management plans (supported by comprehensive hydrological analysis where appropriate) are designed for that site. These are tailored to the site in question and take account of the surrounding lands.
Proposed restoration work planned on any peatlands, including bogs, as part of current or future restoration programmes will similarly require thorough analysis before work is done, including the drawing up of site-specific restoration and drainage management plans.
While the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conducts very comprehensive preparatory actions and reports prior to any restoration being carried out, in the unlikely event that neighbouring landowners are affected by the work, the NPWS will engage and work with the affected parties in order to resolve any issues. If any landowner has particular queries or concerns relating to this matter, they can contact peatlandsconservation@npws.gov.ie .
