Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 May 2018
498. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the landholding of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is a special area of conservation; her future plans to designate this area as a special area of conservation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19669/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has identified 439 sites for protection as special areas of conservation under the EU Habitats Directive. It is required, under the Directive, to formally designate its special areas of conservation and a project is in place within my Department to oversee this process. This involves the adoption of a Statutory Instrument for each site. These are not new sites – most have been legally protected for 15 years or more. The making of Statutory Instruments is the final step in the designation of special areas of conservation and does not place any new or additional conditions on landowners/users than already applied from the time the sites were first identified for designation as special areas of conservation.
The landholding referred to in the Deputy's Question lies within the Killarney National Park/Magillycuddy's Reeks/Caragh River Catchment site, which was selected for designation as a special area of conservation in 1997.
