Hedgerow Removal: Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department’s review of the EIA agriculture regulations will commence; if he will require screening of all hedgerow removal, land drainage and conversion of land to agricultural use, regardless of the scale of such operations, while such a review is ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
When will the Department’s review of the environmental impact assessment, EIA, agriculture regulations commence? Once it commences, will the Minister require screening of all hedgerow removal, land drainage and conversion of land to agricultural use, regardless of the scale of such operations, while such a review is ongoing?
Deputy Charlie McConalogue
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As part of the programme for Government, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has committed to conducting a review of the EIA agriculture regulations. I am happy to announce that this review process formally launches today, with the opening of a six-week consultation period seeking views from all stakeholders to inform the review process. The review will involve a full review of the EIA agriculture regulations in their entirety. These EIA regulations apply to three different on-farm activities, including restructuring of rural land holdings, namely, the removal of field boundaries or the recontouring of land, commencing to use uncultivated land or semi-natural areas for intensive agriculture and land drainage works on lands used for agriculture.
To address the other aspects of the Deputy’s question, it is important to note that the requirement for screening is already set out in the regulations with SI 456/2011, as amended. At present, all screening applications received are assessed by my officials in accordance with Article 8 of the EIA regulations and all applications undergo ecological assessment and on-site assessment before a final decision is made. This process will continue during the review period.
As I outlined, the public consultation informing the review will be open for a period of six weeks. My Department looks forward to welcoming submissions on all parts of the regulations, including the current thresholds. I encourage Deputy Ó Cathasaigh and all stakeholders to engage in this consultation process to help inform the outcomes of the review. The details of the public consultation are available on the Department’s website.
An Ceann Comhairle
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
I will be very brief. It is very welcome that that has been launched today. However, there is still a need for that screening process. I have raised the issue of hedgerows with the Minister of State again and again. People need to exceed 500 m before that screening process kicks in. What we are worried about is that, over the consultation period, people will take advantage of what will most likely be more lax regulations in the interim.
We do not want to see a rash of hedge clearing or scrub clearance – those semi-natural environments referenced by the Minister – happening during the consultation period. I welcome the initial part of the Minister’s statement but we need additional protections in the interim while we are carrying out that consultation process.
