Parliamentary questions

Interdepartmental Working Groups

Patrick O'Donovan

603. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of times, including dates, that the threat response plan team for the hen harrier habitat has met in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; if she will provide details of the membership of the team, including the agency or body the member in question represents; the attendance record of each member for each of the meetings concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27080/15]

Irish Language

Dara Calleary

604. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the efforts her Department is making to ensure proposals from Foras na Gaeilge to extend the Irish language community scheme are discussed at the upcoming meeting of the North-South body; if she will confirm that the proposals have the support of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27163/15]

Departmental Funding

Jim Daly

605. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she has considered an application for funding from a community group (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27381/15]

Deer Hunting

Seán Fleming

606. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is aware that deer cull returns provided by deer hunters to her Department have shown a continuous decline in the number of deer culled since 2009, at 15% decline nationally, despite her Department granting an additional 2,000 licences to hunt deer since 2005; that the Wild Deer Association of Ireland, the lead organisation representing those who work with deer and their management and a member of the Irish Deer Management Forum, recently stated that a national survey of deer hunters highlighted that 61% of deer hunters had seen a reduction in deer numbers in their area during the 2014-2015 deer hunting season; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27393/15]

Deer Hunting

Seán Fleming

607. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is aware that permits granted by her Department to landowners under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts for the culling of deer outside the open hunting season due to crop damage and excessive deer numbers have declined nationally by 27% in the past two years, including for counties Galway, by 60%, Tipperary, by 44%, Wicklow, by 7%, and Waterford, by 38%, where claims of excessive deer numbers have been made recently, despite her Department never undertaking a census of deer numbers; if she agrees that the decline in these permits would suggest fewer landowners have an issue with deer damage and excessive deer numbers; that County Wicklow represents over one third of the annual national deer cull but, despite claims of excessive deer numbers, less than 5% of the farming population have requested permits under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to control excessive deer numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27394/15]

Deer Hunting

Seán Fleming

608. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 605 of 6 May 2015, if she is aware that in her reply there is no connection between deer range and deer numbers, and that her Department, other than in the case of some national parks, has never undertaken a national deer count, and so is not aware if deer numbers are increasing or decreasing nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27395/15]

National Library

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

609. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the rationale behind the decision to place all Catholic Church records of births and marriages on the website of the National Library of Ireland; the reason records held by only one religious denomination are involved; if she and her officials have properly considered the potential misuse of these data, both domestically and internationally, now that the information will be freely available, including for copying globally; with whom she or the National Library of Ireland consulted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27511/15]

Wildlife Conservation

Finian McGrath

610. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the National Parks and Wildlife Service, as the statutory competent authority responsible for the favourable conservation status of Irish wild birds, can publically endorse the assertion and international consumer marketing by An Bord Bia to the effect that current agricultural policies, methods and food production are sustainable and natural, in terms of the current restricted range and falling productivity of threatened Irish farmland birds, such as the red grouse, hen harrier and curlew; if the service has ever suggested any form of satisfaction with the conservation status of these three species, dependent on farming activity, while communicating with the European Commission's directorate responsible for implementing the European birds directive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27634/15]

Natura 2000

Finian McGrath

611. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 248 of 14 May 2015, the number of management plans, as opposed to the number of site-specific conservation objectives, for Natura 2000 sites that have been submitted to and approved by the European Commission; the plan that has been in draft form for the longest period of time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27635/15]

Wildlife Protection

Finian McGrath

612. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 247 of 14 May 2015, if she agrees that either no or very poor Irish scientific data were used to change the burning dates, as per section 40 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27636/15]

Wildlife Protection

Finian McGrath

613. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 247 of 14 May 2015, if she will confirm that Irish scientific egg-laying data were not used to inform the changes made to the burning dates, as per section 40 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27637/15]

Natural Heritage Areas Designation

Seán Kyne

614. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total area designated exclusively as natural heritage areas, without any additional designation as special areas of conservation or special protection areas. [27701/15]

Natural Heritage Areas Designation

Seán Kyne

615. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the process that must be adhered to in order to designate a natural heritage area; if any such areas have been de-designated in the past ten years; if a compensating designation mechanism can be explored to enable a de-designation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27702/15]