Written Answers. - Designated Areas.
Michael Ring
Ceist:
247
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands
the way in which farmers are notified of the areas of their land designated as NHAs or SACs in view of the fact that farmers in County Mayo are not aware as to whether their farms are designated; and the number of acres involved.
[3013/98]
NHAs are only at the proposal stage and will not be formally designated until the necessary amendment to the Wild-life Act, 1976, has been passed by the Oireachtas. At that stage, those affected will be notified to the maximum extent possible. In the meantime, given that proposed NHAs have implications for REPS entitlement — in terms of additional payments —maps of the areas affected may be inspected at the local offices of Dúchas, my Department's heritage service, the Department of Agriculture and Food —farm development offices —the relevant local authority offices and Teagasc.
SACs are being established under the provision of the EU Habitats Directive. The European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997 —S.I. No. 94 of 1997 —which transposed the Directive into Irish law, provide that each owner and occupier of land affected by SAC proposals shall be notified of the proposal to designate the land in question. Over 1,000 individual notifications have been issued to landowners in County Mayo. The regulations further provide that, where the address of the owners or occupiers of affected land cannot be found after reasonable inquiry, notices and maps showing the site concerned shall be displayed in specified public places, and advertisements shall be broadcast on at least one local radio station and in at least one newspaper circulating in the area, and every such advertisement shall request any person affected to contact my Department. The procedures outlined above were followed in all affected areas.
The proposed NHAs in County Mayo were publicly advertised in theWestern People, The Connaught Telegraph and the Mayo News on 14 December 1994. The proposed SACs were advertised in those newspapers on 12 March 1997. Public meetings were held in Belmullet, Crossmolina and Newport together with information sessions conducted by my Department's staff at the following locations. Gym Centre, Killala; old vocational school, Belmullet; Healy's pub, Glenamoy; parish hall, Louisburg; Cuslough community centre, Carrowkennedy; salmon research centre, Furnace; Killeen community centre, Killadoon; parish hall, Bangor Erris; Gorman's pub, Bellacorrick; Keel hall, Achill; local hall, Ballycroy; amenity centre, Mullraney; and Teagasc office, Ballinrobe.
A letter giving basic information about the SAC process, together with details of where more complete information could be obtained, was sent to some 23,000 rural households in areas in County Mayo thought likely to be affected by the SAC proposals. Maps of proposed SACs are available for inspection at the local offices referred to above. Any person who feels that SAC proposals may affect them should contact either the local offices of Dúchas, or its Dublin head office at (01) 6613-111 or Freephone 1-800-405-000 and further information will be provided to them.
