Special Protection Areas for hen harriers are proposed for designation in accordance with Article 4 of the European Council Directive on the conservation of Wild Birds (79/409/EEC) as transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997.
Under these Regulations a landowner may seek review of a proposed designation of land as a Special Protection Area by making an objection in writing, based on scientific grounds, to my Department along with a clear map of the land in question. The Regulations provide that such objections must be made within a three-month period of the site being notified. It is necessary in the context of EU infringement proceedings against Ireland under the Directive strictly to adhere to this three-month limit.