Special Areas of Conservation.

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Ceisteanna (876)

Ceist:
975 Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is EU or Exchequer funding available for developing designated bog areas; the amount of such funding each year for the past 10 years; the amount to be spent in 2009; the breakdown of this funding; the areas involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33559/09]
Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy John Gormley)

Ireland is required to protect habitats of European importance under the Habitats Directive 1992, which was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997, and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000. In accordance with the Directive, Ireland has nominated certain raised and blanket bogs, which are priority natural habitats under the Directive, as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs). In addition, Ireland has also designated other raised and blanket bogs as natural heritage areas (NHAs) under the 2000 Wildlife Act. All raised and blanket bog, SACs and NHAs are listed in the table below.

My Department provides funding for compensation of turf cutters who cease cutting and for the purchase of freehold or turbary rights on these designated sites with a view to their protection and, where appropriate, restoration. The following sums have been expended on this in the last 10 years:

Year	Amount
	€million
1999	2.25
2000	1.60
2001	0.40
2002	0.40
2003	0.50
2004	0.36
2005	4.69
2006	4.10
2007	5.00
2008	6.30

In 2009, having regard to available resources, expenditure is expected to be just under €4.7m. The breakdown is expected to be about €3.7m to be paid to commercial cutters and €1m for purchase of turbary rights or freehold of domestic turf cutters. A list of the bogs concerned is attached, including the counties in which they are located. Purchases of freehold or turbary rights of domestic cutters are mainly confined to raised bogs, and especially to those 32 raised bogs designated before 1999, on which cutting is due to end this year. These bogs are listed as the first 32 in the table.

Special Areas of Conservation

#	Site Code	Site Name	County
1	000006	Killyconny Bog (Cloghbally)	Cavan and Meath
2	000231	Barroughter Bog	Galway
3	000248	Cloonmoylan Bog	Galway
4	000285	Kilsallagh Bog	Galway
5	000296	Lisnageeragh Bog and Ballinstack Turlough	Galway
6	000297	Lough Corrib	Galway and Mayo
7	000301	Lough Lurgeen Bog/Glenamaddy Turlough	Galway
8	000326	Shankill West Bog	Galway
9	000382	Sheheree (Ardagh) Bog	Kerry
10	000391	Ballynafagh Bog	Kildare
11	000440	Lough Ree	Ros/LD/WM
12	000457	Derrynabrock Bog	Mayo and Roscommon
13	000497	Flughany Bog	Mayo and Sligo
14	000547	Tawnaghbeg Bog	Mayo
15	000566	All Saints Bog and Esker	Offaly
16	000572	Clara Bog	Offaly
17	000575	Ferbane Bog	Offaly
18	000580	Mongan Bog	Offaly
19	000581	Moyclare Bog	Offaly
20	000582	Raheenmore Bog	Offaly
21	000585	Sharavogue Bog	Offaly
22	000592	Bellanagare Bog	Roscommon
23	000597	Carrowbehy/Caher Bog	Roscommon
24	000600	Cloonchambers Bog	Roscommon
25	000604	Derrinea Bog	Roscommon
26	000614	Cloonshanville Bog	Roscommon
27	000641	Ballyduff/Clonfinane Bog	Tipperary
28	000647	Kilcarren-Firville Bog	Tipperary
29	000679	Garriskil Bog	Westmeath
30	001242	Carrownagappul Bog	Galway
31	001818	Lough Forbes Complex	Longford and Roscommon
32	002110	Corliskea/Trien/Cloonfelliv Bog	Galway and Roscommon
33	000595	Callow Bog	Roscommon
34	002298	River Moy	Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo
35	002331	Mouds Bog	Kildare
36	002332	Coolrain Bog	Laois
37	002333	Knockacoller Bog	Laois
38	002336	Carn Park Bog	Westmeath
39	002337	Crosswood Bog	Westmeath
40	002338	Drumalough Bog	Roscommon
41	002339	Ballynamona Bog and Corkip Lough	Roscommon
42	002340	Moneybeg and Clareisland Bogs	Meath and Westmeath
43	002341	Ardagullion Bog	Longford
44	002342	Mount Hevey Bog	Meath and Westmeath
45	002343	Tullaher Lough and Bog	Clare
46	002346	Brown Bog	Longford
47	002347	Camderry Bog	Galway
48	002348	Clooneen Bog	Longford
49	002349	Corbo Bog	Roscommon
50	002350	Curraghlehanagh Bog	Galway
51	002351	Moanveanlagh Bog	Kerry
52	002352	Monivea Bog	Galway
53	002353	Redwood Bog	Tipperary
54	002354	Tullaghanrock Bog	Roscommon
55	002356	Ardgraigue Bog	Galway

Natural Heritage Areas

#	Site Code	Site Name	County
1	000220	Lough Namucka Bog NHA	Galway and Roscommon
2	000221	Moorfield Bog/Farm Cottage NHA	Galway and Roscommon
3	000222	Suck River Callows NHA	Galway and Roscommon
4	000229	Ballygar Bog NHA	Galway
5	000235	Bracklagh Bog NHA	Galway
6	000245	Clooncullaun Bog NHA	Galway
7	000247	Slieve Bog NHA	Galway
8	000249	Cloonoolish Bog NHA	Galway
9	000254	Crit Island West NHA	Galway
10	000267	Funshin Bog NHA	Galway
11	000280	Castle Ffrench West Bog NHA	Galway
12	000281	Keeloges Bog NHA	Galway
13	000283	Kilmore Bog NHA	Galway
14	000284	Kilnaborris Bog NHA	Galway
15	000292	Leaha Bog NHA	Galway
16	000307	Lough Tee Bog NHA	Galway
17	000310	Meneen Bog NHA	Galway
18	000321	Raford River Bog NHA	Galway
19	000333	Anna More Bog NHA	Kerry
20	000337	Doon Lough NHA	Clare
21	000422	Aghnamona Bog NHA	Leitrim and Longford
22	000564	River Little Brosna Callows NHA	Offaly and Tipperary
23	000565	Clonydonnin Bog NHA	Offaly and Westmeath
24	000570	Black Castle Bog NHA	Offaly
25	000591	Bella Bridge Bog NHA	Roscommon
26	000603	Cornaveagh Bog NHA	Roscommon
27	000605	Derrycanan Bog NHA	Roscommon
28	000640	Arragh More Bog NHA	Tipperary
29	000642	Ballymacegan Bog NHA	Tipperary
30	000648	Killeen Bog NHA	Tipperary
31	000652	Monaincha Bog/Ballaghmore Bog NHA	Laois
32	000674	Ballynagrenia and Ballinderry Bog NHA	Westmeath
33	000677	Cloncrow Bog (New Forest) NHA	Westmeath
34	000684	Lough Derravaragh NHA	Westmeath
35	000691	Rinn River NHA	Leitrim and Longford
36	000694	Wooddown Bog NHA	Westmeath
37	000890	Cangort Bog NHA	Offaly and Tipperary
38	000921	Screggan Bog NHA	Offaly
39	000937	Scohaboy Bog NHA	Tipperary
40	000985	Lough Kinale and Derragh Lough NHA	Cavan, Longford and Westmeath
41	000993	Ayle Lower Bog NHA	Clare
42	001020	Loughanilloon Bog NHA	Clare
43	001227	Aughrim Bog NHA	Galway
44	001240	Capira/Derrew Bog NHA	Galway
45	001244	Castle Ffrench East Bog NHA	Galway
46	001254	Derrinlough Bog NHA	Galway
47	001255	Derrynagran Bog and Esker NHA	Galway
48	001264	Eskerboy Bog NHA	Galway
49	001280	Killaclogher Bog NHA	Galway
50	001283	Killure Bog NHA	Galway
51	001303	Moorfield Bog NHA	Galway
52	001324	Jamestown Bog NHA	Meath
53	001352	Bunnaruddee Bog NHA	Kerry
54	001388	Carbury Bog NHA	Kildare
55	001393	Hodgestown Bog NHA	Kildare
56	001405	Cashel Bog (Leitrim) NHA	Leitrim
57	001420	Corracramph Bog NHA	Leitrim
58	001423	Cloonageeher Bog NHA	Leitrim and Longford
59	001448	Forthill Bog NHA	Longford
60	001450	Mount Jessop Bog NHA	Longford
61	001580	Girley Bog NHA	Meath
62	001582	Molerick Bog NHA	Meath
63	001623	Carrickynaghtan Bog NHA	Roscommon
64	001652	Tullaghan Bog (Roscommon) NHA	Roscommon
65	001684	Lorrha Bog NHA	Tipperary
66	001725	Nure Bog NHA	Westmeath
67	001812	Lough Garr NHA	Westmeath
68	001853	Nore Valley Bogs NHA	Tipperary
69	002033	Daingean Bog NHA	Offaly
70	002072	Lisnanarriagh Bog NHA	Roscommon
71	002307	Cloonloum More Bog NHA	Clare
72	002323	Milltownpass Bog NHA	Westmeath
73	002344	Annaghbeg Bog NHA	Galway
74	002355	Hawkswood Bog NHA	Offaly
75	002357	Clonreher Bog NHA	Laois