Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 July 2020
136. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans for bogs to be cleared by special area of conservation and natural heritage area; and if she will list same. [19244/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022 sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed, conserved and restored and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. As stated in the plan, in order to compensate for permanent losses of active raised bog from the special area of conservation network, it is proposed to nominate for designation two new special areas of conservation. I understand that more than 50 per cent of these two sites are in public ownership.
The Review of Raised Bog Natural Heritage Area Network was published in January 2014. The review concluded that Ireland could more effectively achieve conservation of threatened raised bog habitat through focused protection and restoration of a reconfigured network. This entails:
- The continued designation of 36 existing natural heritage areas - this includes 7 sites to be divided, with part to be conserved and part de-designated;
- The de-designation of 46 natural heritage areas - including the relevant areas of the 7 sites to be divided; and
- The designation as natural heritage areas of 25 currently undesignated raised bogs, which are in public ownership or where there is reduced turf cutting pressure, so as to compensate for the loss of habitat within the sites where it is proposed that turf cutting can be allowed to continue.
The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 has been passed by Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. The purpose of the Bill is to give legal effect to the proposed reconfiguration of the raised bog natural heritage area network arising from the 2014 review, to provide for a review or reviews of blanket bog natural heritage areas and to place a duty on public bodies to promote the conservation of biodiversity.
As is the practice, it is not proposed to identify any of the 27 raised bog sites to be nominated for designation until the relevant legal protections are being applied to them.
