Vol. 528 No. 3
196 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether Dúchas has realised the full implications of the Habitats Directive; and whether there is a difference between what is required by the directive and the way Dúchas has chosen to interpret and implement it. [30048/00]
I wish to assure the Deputy that no such argument may be made legitimately. The requirements of the Habitats Directive are quite straightforward with no room for interpretation. The main requirements of the directive may be summed up as follows: member states to provide a list of special areas of conservation to the EU Commission; and member states to maintain or improve the favourable conservation status of these sites.
To this end Dúchas has provided the EU Commission with a list of 362 candidate SACs. The favourable conservation status of these sites on farmland will be maintained through the implementation of a rural environment protection scheme plan or the implementation of a plan prepared by my Department. Rather than imposing conditions on farmers in these sites my Department has successfully agreed farming practices in respect of the farming conditions to be applied in the Burren, on blanket bogs, heaths, upland grasslands, sand dunes, machair. Conditions in respect of other habitat types are ongoing.
