IPCC have undertaken an analysis of the designation process of peatland sites in Ireland. Table 3.7 presents the area and number of sites formally designated to date or proposed for designation. Under the EU Habitats Directive 215 peatland sites have been designated as SACs for a variety of habitats and species. The area of land designated is 226,276ha. The leading non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Ireland played an active role in ensuring that a representative portion of sites containing the priority habitats and species were included as SACs. To this end they published a shadow list of SACs (Crushell, 2002). This list contained 395 peatland sites with an area of 266,578ha. From the data presented in table 3.7, only 85% of the NGO area considered to be representative has been designated by the Irish Government.
The table below indicates the number and areas of peatlands of conservation importance and their designations in the Republic of Ireland. Source: IPCC database of sites 2009.
| Site Designation | Number of Sites | Area (ha) |
| cSAC | 194 | 191,279 |
| NHA | 148 | 42,464 |
| pNHA | 248 | 38,230 |
| Other (non-designated sites) | 147 | 11,287 |
Source Citation
Malone, S. and O’Connell, C. (2009) Ireland’s Peatland Conservation Action Plan 2020 – halting the loss of peatland biodiversity. Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Kildare.
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Text, Photographs and Images © Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare. Email: bogs@ipcc.ie; Tel: +353-45-860133.