Vol. 465 No. 8
15 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether he will establish a task force, in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, to ensure that the habitats of endangered wildlife species are protected, particularly in wet land, rough land and wooded areas in view of the fact that they are not catered for under the REP scheme. [10630/96]
While the conservation of endangered wildlife species, including their habitats, is a matter for the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, administered by my Department contains a measure which requires participant farmers to retain any wildlife habitats on their farms. The habitats which must be retained under REPS are listed in the scheme's documentation and are as follows; callows, turloughs and other seasonally flooded areas; marshes and swamps; peatlands, including raised bog, cut-over bog, blanket bog or moors and fens, sand dunes; foreshore and sea shore; machairs, eskers, natural or semi natural vegetation; woodlands, scrubland, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams; field boundaries-margins; hedgerows and stone walls; old buildings inhabited by protected species such as barn owls and bats, and discused quarries and such workings which have become habitats.
Farmers under REPS are prohibited from carrying our certain activities such as afforestation and drainage works which could have an adverse effect on a habitat area. In the light of the foregoing the Deputy will recognise that habitat areas are indeed catered for under REPS. Accordingly, I have no plans to establish a task force of the nature referred to by the Deputy.
