Useful Data for Irish River Conservation / Water Quality

AAIE Request 26 089

Summary of information requested

1. All records concerning the conception, design, development, appraisal and advancement of the Derryclare Forest to Bog project, including internal correspondence, meeting records, submissions, draft proposals and decision records.
2. All records concerning the use of Derryclare as a pilot, model, precedent or template for future forest to bog restoration projects, including any standard methodology, framework, guidance, template, lessons-learned document, policy paper or rollout proposal.
3. All records concerning funding for the project, including approvals, sanction, budget allocations, cost estimates, funding source, grant/payment records, conditions attached to funding, and any assessment of value for money or outcomes.
4. All records of engagement with Coillte and/or NPWS concerning the project’s development, funding, mitigation design, and its use as a model for future projects.
5. All records showing how DAFM addressed any issue of role separation, independence, objectivity or conflict of interest arising from DAFM’s involvement in funding/developing the project while also acting as licensing authority.

Environmental Impact Assessment Report Scoping Documnet – Derryclare Peatlands Project

Wild Western Peatlands Project: Concept Note

Version 2: November 2025

Given the financial exposure in this project, in August 2025, Coillte made the decision to pause all but essential activity for both Derryclare and Glennamong.

AtkinsRéalis / TII / Wicklow CoCo

Progress Reports

Note – Draft Options Selection Report refused

AIE 046 2026

Under the AIE Regs to request the following

1) The recommendations of the Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) on Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan (as finalised and submitted to Minister O’Sullivan in Qtr1 2026)

2) All submissions, responses and presentations made by Bord na Mona to the IAC

3) All submissions, responses and presentations made by Coillte to the IAC

4) Any elements of the current Letters of Expectation for Bord na Mona and Coillte that conflict with Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan

Note: Coillte submission not provided in AIE and not listed in Schedule

Dave is Associate Professor in agri-sustainability, Co-Director on the Agricultural Science BSc

John Reilly – Head of Renewable Energy, BnM

Mark McCorry – Ecology Team Manager for Bord na Mona

AIE Request COSEC00292

Note: list of “powered” BnM peatland drainage projects so it’s not the full dataset because BnM also have non-powered drainage schemes based on reprofiling the bogs with machines to drain into nearest rivers

Data points are significant, in the context of recent discussions about moving BnM land to NPWS

https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/04/30/semi-state-lands-targeted-for-takeover-in-nature-restoration-drive

Obviously it would be weird for NPWS to take over BnM peatland drainage/ destruction projects…

Plus there’s an issue here in that BnM is receiving funding for both peatland restoration AND peatland drainage

Note on the data: 

The five bog groups being drained are spread across the Irish Midlands:

Blackwater (28 drainage points) — west Offaly, around Shannonbridge
Boora (9 points) — central Offaly, east of Shannonbridge toward Tullamore
Mountdillon (40 points) — Co. Longford, around Lanesboro/Roscommon border
Littleton (9 points) — Co. Tipperary, south of the midlands
Derrygreenagh (12 points) — Co. Westmeath, east midlands around Rochfordbridge

One point to flag: P47/004 (Littleton) plots unusually far south near the Waterford/Kilkenny border — the northing value (122,732) in the source data looks suspect compared to the other Littleton points and likely may be a data entry error worth verifying.

Coillte windblow damage GIS data is now available on Coillte public map viewer under the following link Public Web Viewer, layer: Coillte Wind Damage Assessment.