The Minister for Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islandsile de Valera, has agreed to designate Wexford Harbour as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds, in the face of an EU Commission threat to withdraw most of the funding for Wexford's £40 million main drainage scheme.
Ms de Valera has also arranged to prepare a draft conservation plan for the site, and has promised "the widest possible local consultation" before the plan is finalised and published.
The SPA designation, which should secure the EU funding of some £34 million for the drainage works, aims to protect internationally important species in the harbour area, including Bewick swan, Greenland white-fronted goose and golden plover. The site also qualifies under the EU directive on conservation of wild birds by regularly supporting significant numbers of light-bellied Brent goose, lapwing, black-tailed godwit, bar-tailed godwit and whimbrel. At least 20,000 waterfowl frequent the area.
The Minister's decision aims to allay concerns expressed by the EU Commission about the effect on the birdlife of the drainage scheme it was funding - particularly the dumping of spoil. The Minister was perceived to be stalling on implementing the EU's own conservation directive in several areas, and EU court action has been threatened.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has designated some 109 SPA sites so far under the directive, but Wexford Harbour was identified as a serious omission.
Last month, the EU Commission served a "reasoned opinion" on the Government for failing to protect its largest SPA, the Owenduff-Nephinbeg complex in Co Mayo, from sheep overgrazing and its failure to conserve the red grouse habitat. The Government has already bought 20,000 acres of land in the area in an effort to conserve it and designated it as a national park.
Ireland is one of two European countries which have not submitted a final list of Special Areas of Conservation to the Commission under the EU Habitats Directive.
