Vol. 393 No. 8
asked the Minister for Finance when a site (details supplied) in County Galway was declared an area of scientific interest by the Wildlife Service; the consultation which took place between the owners and the officials of the Wildlife Service regarding the designation of this area; the acreage of the site; and if this designation means that the local landowners and owners of the commonage in the same area were not consulted before the designation was made.
39.
asked the Minister for Finance, with regard to the designation of a site (details supplied) in County Galway, if EC and State funds will be available to local interests for turbary and afforestation; if this designation reflects Government policy regarding the development of turbary in Connemara; if the designated area in question can be abandoned, reduced in size or renegotiated; and if there is a scheme in existence whereby landowners are compensated for land deemed designated under the Wildlife Act, 1976.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 39 together.
The area for which details were supplied is an area of scientific interest because of its flora and fauna. It is a blanket bog which is one of the eco-systems being protected under the Wildlife Act, 1976. It is also a winter site for the Greenland White-fronted Goose, an Annex 1 species under EC Directive No. 79/409. This requires that Annex 1 species shall be the subject of special conservation measures concerning their habitat. Grants for the development of such areas would not normally be paid from EC funds.
The area was declared an area of scientific interest in 1983 by the then Forest and Wildlife Service and there are no proposals to amend the boundaries further at this time. The area covers 1,500 hectares. Landowners are not precluded from developing such areas from their own resources by such desigations.
Designation of sites of scientific interest is based on scientific criteria only which relate to the flora and fauna and general eco-system.
The declaration of an area as having features of scientific interest does not involve consultation with the landowner.
I am impressed with the Minister's reply which has given me additional information although it did not entirely answer the question posed. The area in question is in the Spiddal-Inverin area and about 4,000 to 5,000 acres of bogland are included in that specified area. About six years ago Údarás na Gaeltachta purchased 1,000 acres of bog there. They are now precluded from developing that. They were told by the EC, the county council and everybody else concerned that they cannot get approval for development. The Minister said that landowners would not be precluded from developing bogland. I know at least one landowner in the area, Mr. John Walsh of Inverin——
I am sorry, Deputy. I am anxious to facilitate him by way of elicitation of information but I must dissuade him from making a speech.
He has made——
Deputy McCormack, questions please.
Why has this man been stopped from fencing his bogland recently? Why can he not get any EC grants, the same as any other farmer, for fencing his bog? That is the same as precluding a man from developing his bog and I would like to know the reasons for that.
Ireland has a remarkable heritage of historical and scientific sites varied in type and widely spread over the whole country. This heritage is of growing importance for the purposes of education and recreation not only for the daily lives of our people but in the development of tourism and the pursuit of historical and scientific research. However, it is being steadily eroded and whittled away by neglect, by natural forces and, of course, by human exploitation, pollution and other modern developments. In my opinion, and I think the opinion of everybody now, this represents a serious loss to the nation since the heritage properly cared for and suitably developed will bring many and continuing benefits not only to this generation but to future generations. If the Deputy has a problem with an individual in that area and wishes to discuss it with me I will see in what way we can facilitate him. I am not familiar with the details of what he is complaining about.
This is the greatest deprived area in Connemara. Why were the landowners there not consulted when this area was being designated?
The area, as I said, was designated in 1983 and it is a well established and recognised area. There was even pressure at the time to have the area designated and protected. I am satisfied that the proper procedure was followed in that regard. I believe this is a very important area which needs to be protected. If the Deputy has a particular problem and wants to talk to me about it, we will see if there is some way it can be resolved.
