Bird of prey concern for 109 landowners

AGRICULTURE and Food Minister Mary Coughlan has confirmed that 109 of the 925 applications for afforestation grant aid being processed by the Forest Service at the end of November were in respect of areas proposed as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the hen harrier.

Responding to questions in the Dáil from Gerard Murphy, TD, Fine Gael, Cork North-West, she said the European Commission have expressed the gravest concern at any further planting in areas identified by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government as important for survival of the hen harrier — until it is possible to fully access the impact of forestry on the species.

“In order to do that, it is necessary to work out what type of management regime needs to be put in place to accommodate both forestry and the hen-harrier in the areas being proposed as Special Protection Areas,” Ms Coughlan said.

To this end, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has established a working group, on which forestry and farming interests are represented, as well as the Department of Agriculture and Food. “The applications will be looked at again when an appropriate regime for the hen harrier has been agreed,” she told the Dáil.

Environment Minister Dick Roche has told the Dáil that decisions on some of the current applications to the Forest Service for new forestry in these areas may be made shortly, on the basis of a special scientific examination which was recently carried out.

Also replying to a question from Deputy Gerard Murphy, he said a significant consolidation of the number and extent of hen harrier SPAs identified in 2002 is now envisaged. The proposed SPAs will be notified to individual landowners after discussions with farming and forestry interests, and the Forest Service. A statutory process of appeal against SPA designations will apply.