Seán Doherty
Ceist:178 Mr. Doherty asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if he will acquire Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, County Roscommon, from Coillte Teo as a national park. [7984/97]
Written Answers. - National Parks.
Ireland's five national parks were established under criteria set down by the IUCN, also known as the World Conservation Union and affiliated to the United Nations. The IUCN criteria for selecting an area as a national park are:
"The area should contain a representative sample of major natural regions, features of scenery, where plant and animal species, habitats and geomorphological sites are of special spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and tourist significance.
The area should be large enough to contain one or more ecosystems not materially altered by current human occupation or exploitation."
While Lough Key Forest Park is an area of high amenity, it is not a natural area. Most of the property is a working commercial forest, some of it having been developed as a popular amenity by the forest and Wildlife Service before the property was transferred to Coillte Teoranta.
The property is one that has been highly modified by man for human exploitation and does not qualify under the international criteria as a national park. The greater part of the forest park does not contain any habitats, flora or fauna of nature conservation value. Accordingly it would not be appropriate to consider acquiring it for designation as a natural park.