Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 May 2017
145. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to change the planning status of large-scale peat extraction; and the public consultation he plans to undertake on proposed changes. [23699/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently progressing draft Regulations under the European Communities Act 1972 that will establish a new regulatory regime for large-scale peat extraction. Under the new regime, the Environmental Protection Agency will be required to carry out an environmental impact assessment as part of its examination of licence applications for existing and new peat extraction of 30 hectares or more and that activity will be exempted from the requirement to obtain planning permission.
The preparation of the Regulations has been the subject of focused stakeholder input from relevant Government Departments and State bodies, industry representatives and environmental groups last October. A detailed review of the proposals is on-going in light of stakeholder input, with a view to finalising the Regulations by the end of June.
