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Gormley makes Regulations to protect nature sites from recreational damage

21/06/10

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr John Gormley, T.D., today(21/6/2010) made Regulations under the European Communities Acts to regulate recreational activities in European nature sites and other areas where they are likely to disturb or damage species protected under EU law.

The Regulations are to address the increased pressures and instances of serious damage and disturbance being caused to nature sites and wildlife by activities such as quad biking, scrambling and jet-skiing. In 2007 the European Court found that Ireland had not dealt with the problem of the damage being caused by such unrestricted recreational activities. Ireland is facing fines from the European Court unless it deals properly with this problem.

The types of damage that can be caused include the destruction of upland vegetation leading to erosion, the disturbance of ground-nesting birds and destruction of their nests, the swamping of the nests of water birds by power boats and jet skis, and damage to sand dune systems leading to blow-outs and loss of dunes.

In these Regulations the Minister has moved to strengthen the legal protection afforded to European nature sites and species of wildlife protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives.  The Regulations give the Minister power to restrict or to prohibit particular recreational activities in specified places where the protection of the nature sites or species requires.  Public notice will be given of these restrictions. The Minister will also have power to prepare threat response plans to address threats to sites and species posed by recreational and other activities. These plans will be published.  Provision is made for the Minister to publish guidelines to encourage those engaged in outdoor recreational activities to respect and protect nature.

The Regulations are not aimed at agricultural or other occupational use of quads or other off-road vehicles or their use by the security or emergency services. Landowners will have the right to object to, or seek review of, a Ministerial direction affecting their land, and to seek exemption from the general application of a direction that affects their land where the Minister is satisfied that the scale and nature of the recreational activity that they propose to undertake will not damage a European nature site or pose a threat to protected species.

“The object of these Regulations is not to restrict people’s legitimate enjoyment of outdoor recreational activities”, said the Minister. “Along with other European countries, Ireland has prioritised specified areas for the protection of nature, and in those areas, that must be our priority. Many people, indeed, find recreation in the enjoyment of undisturbed nature,” he concluded.

A list of the affected sites can be found here.


ENDS.

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