18 October 2006

Environment

Wildlife Act Derogations

Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide copies of all the reports that Ireland has submitted under Article 16(2) of the Habitats Directive, which provides that, where Member States avail themselves of Article 16(1), they are obliged to forward reports to the Commission every two years on the derogations applied.

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche):  

A return of relevant derogations, which were given under the provisions of the Wildlife Acts, was made to the European Commission in 2000; I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Oireachtas Library.

Following legal proceedings by the European Commission, improved provisions in relation to the granting and notification of derogations have been incorporated in the European Communities (Natural Habitats) (Amendment) Regulations 2005.

A list of derogations made under these Regulations is now being prepared by my Department for submission to the Commission by the end of this year.