Measures to protect the habitat of an endangered bird species and avoid European Commission fines of up to €40 million are to be introduced by Minister for the Environment John Gormley in September.
It is understood Mr Gormley intends to designate nearly 170,000 hectares of land for the protection of the hen harrier in order to comply with the EU Birds Directive, despite having yet to reach agreement with affected landowners.
The European Commission is in the process of prosecuting the Government in relation to 33 breaches of EU environmental laws, one of which relates to the Government's continuing failure to protect the habitat of the hen harrier. Under the Birds Directive, the EU's oldest piece of nature conservation law dating to 1979, Ireland should have designated special protection areas (SPA) for the species.
The bird of prey has suffered drastic decline with the loss of marsh and moorland since the 1970s. It is now mainly found in the north Cork, west Limerick and north Kerry region, with only about 150 pairs left.
Previous proposals to designate SPAs for the species have met with strong opposition from farmers. A dead hen harrier was sent to a provincial newspaper after it reported on a public meeting of farmers in Limerick relating to the proposals four years ago.
However, it is understood that Mr Gormley is committed to designating the SPAs in September, even if a final agreement on a payment to farmers for changes in agricultural practices has not been reached.
A spokesman for the Irish Farmers' Association said the organisation would expect Mr Gormley to finalise a deal for farmers before the implementation of the SPA and questioned whether there would be an opportunity to achieve this by September.The SPA designation would impose certain restrictions on farmers. Some related to scrubland clearance and new forestry ventures. Around 4,000 farmers and other landowners will be affected.
Mr Gormley has proposed six SPAs for hen harriers in the midlands, north midlands, west and southwest. These are: a SPA of 21,800 hectares in the Slieve Bloom mountains in Laois and Offaly; a SPA of 56,700 hectares in the Stack's to Mullaghareirk mountains, West Limerick hills and Mount Eagle in Cork, Kerry and Limerick; a SPA of 5,100 hectares in the Mullaghanish to Musheramore mountains in Cork; a SPA of 20,700 hectares in the Slievefelim to Silvermines in Limerick and Tipperary; an SPA of 3,600 hectares in Slieve Beagh in Monaghan; and a SPA of 61,100 hectares in the Slieve Aughty mountains in Clare and Galway.
Affected farmers will be contacted individually by the Department of the Environment. Farmers in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme will be entitled to a set payment arising from the SPA designation.
