Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 July 2020
111. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the European Commission cases being taken against Ireland for failure to comply with EU heritage-related legislation. [17526/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe are 4 cases being taken by the European Commission against Ireland, which fall within the remit of the heritage area of my Department as follows:
1. Peatlands - Infringement No. 2010/2161 - this case relates to the regulation of peatlands under the Habitats Directive and the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. A peatlands programme of measures has been developed, in discussion with the European Commission. The programme outlines the measures which the State is undertaking as regards the conservation, management and restoration of peatlands, in response to the issues raised by the Commission. These measures are rooted in a number of key policy documents agreed by the Government - the National Peatlands Strategy, the Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network and the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022.
2. Designation and Conservation of Special Areas of Conservation- Infringement No. 2015/2006 - this case relates to a requirement, under the Habitats Directive, for Member States to designate special areas of conservation, set site-specific conservation objectives and establish site-specific conservation measures. My Department is implementing its Special Areas of Conservation Designation, Conservation and Management Work Programme. 276 sites have been designated as special areas of conservation by Statutory Instrument, 364 special area of conservation site-specific conservation objectives have been set and published, site-specific conservation measures have been prepared for 53 special areas of conservation and a range of conservation schemes are in place such as the European Innovation partnerships and green, low carbon, agri-environment scheme (GLAS) administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the National Parks and Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme administered by my Department. Sites are protected under Irish law from the time they are publicly nominated for designation as special areas of conservation i.e. all 439 special area of conservation sites are protected under the provisions of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011.
3. Articles 6 and 11 of EU Access and Benefit-Sharing of Genetic Resources Regulation No. 511/2014 - Infringement No. 2017/2171 - this case relates to the EU Regulation on Access and Benefit-Sharing of Genetic Resources which creates a legal framework for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise should the resources be utilised for the purposes of research and development and / or lead to commercial use within the scope of the Nagoya Protocol. The European Union (Nagoya Protocol onAccess to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing) Regulations 2019, which transpose the EU regulation into Irish law, were signed by the then Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht , Josepha Madigan T.D., on 6 June 2019. The Commission was notified of the signing of the regulations on 27 June 2019. The response of the European Commission is awaited.
4. The EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation No. 1143/2014 - Infringement No. 2018/2319 - this case relates to the EU Regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. The legislation transposing this regulation into Irish law is being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Regulations were made in 2018 specifically to ban the import of non-native crayfish because of a serious threat to the native species from any such introduction (European Union (Invasive Alien Species) (Freshwater Crayfish) Regulations 2018).
