The Department of Housing is to publish revised planning guidelines for wind energy development, which will include a section in relation to wind farms on peatlands.

It is one of a number of revised actions contained in the mid-term review of the national peatlands strategy 2015-2025, which has been updated to focus on achieving the objectives set out in the strategy.

On burning on peatlands, the Department of Housing is to provide “appropriate information and advice” to the Department of Agriculture to update the prescribed burning code of practice.

This is to ensure best practice for the appropriate land management for peatlands.

Turf cutting

The original strategy contained an action which would see Ireland devise and implement a system of management that will ensure that turf-cutting on protected bog sites continues only in such a way that will not threaten the integrity of special areas of conservation.

The updated action in the strategy states that “strategies in relation to turf-cutting on blanket bog special areas of conservation will be considered within the EU LIFE programme-funded integrated project Wild Atlantic Nature”.

The Wild Atlantic Nature project is also to assess the “extent and impact of use of the Difco cutter or ‘sausage’ machine” on peatlands in the project.

The original strategy had said that consideration would be given to ending the use of the machine completely or allowing it to be used in specific areas only.

The Department is to also conduct a feasibility study on the creation of a national peatlands or wetlands park, as well as an updated report on public awareness around peatlands.