Public Consultation on the Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Brown has published the Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan for consultation.

Glenveagh is the largest tourist attraction in Donegal with over 200,000 visitors per year, a figure which has risen significantly in the last five years. A detailed analysis of visitor figures and their implication is in Appendix Aof the draft plan.

Planning for recreation and tourism in the National Parks has developed in recent years with a strategic partnership between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Fáilte Ireland. This has led to the preparation of ‘Experiencing the Wild Heart of Ireland’, a Tourism Interpretation Master Plan (TIMP), to guide the phased development of enhanced visitor experiences in all the National Parks. This in turn led to the commissioning of this Draft Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan specific to Glenveagh.

The Draft Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan seeks to provide guidance on future development within Glenveagh National Park, ensuring sustainable tourism within the Park and wider area is married with the promotion and support of nature conservation.

The purpose of this consultation is to seek the public’s views on the Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Report and Natura Impact Statement of the Plan. The Ecological Assessment Unit of the Housing, Local Government and Heritage shall have regard to any submissions or observations received during the public consultation on the Natura Impact Statement. Following a review of the responses, the Ecological Assessment Unit will make a determination to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage pursuant to Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive.

Public Consultation under Regulation 42A of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 293 of 2021)

An Appropriate Assessment is being conducted of the Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan by the Ecological Assessment Unit, as required under Regulation 42 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011-2021. This public consultation is being carried out in accordance with Regulation 42(13) of these Regulations.

The Ecological Assessment Unit shall have regard to any submissions or observations received during the public consultation and may subsequently determine that the plan shall, or shall not, adversely affect the integrity of a European site.

The Minister now invites members of the public to make submissions, observations and comments on the Draft Plan, Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement during the period from 09:00 March 14th 2025 to 5pm 17:00 April 25th 2025.

A copy of:

1. Draft Visitor Experience Development Management Plan

2. Visitor Experience Development Management Plan – SEA Environmental Report and Non-Technical Summary

3. Screening for Appropriate Assessment – EAU Determination on GVEDMP (Public Consultation)

4. Visitor Experience Development Management Plan – Natura Impact Statement

5. Visitor Experience Development Management Plan – Privacy Statement

6. Consultation form

are all available for public inspection online and at the Glenveagh National Park Visitor Centre, during office hours (9 to 5pm Monday to Sunday) during the period from14th March 2025 until 5pm 25th April 2025.

Gaelic versions of the Draft plan and consultation form are also available online and at the above location.

Submissions or observations in relation to the Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan and or the Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report

Submissions or observations in relation to the Draft Plan and SEA ER can be made using the submission form below either to glenveaghconsultation@npws.gov.ie or by post to:

Glenveagh Consultation

Glenveagh National Park

Churchill

Co. Donegal

F92 P993

Submissions can also be made in person at the Glenveagh National Park visitor centre during office hours (9 to 5pm Monday to Sunday) during the period from 14th March 2025 until 5pm 25th April 2025.

Submissions or observations in relation to the Natura Impact Statement of the Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan

Submissions or observations in relation to the Natura Impact Statement can be made either to eau@npws.gov.ie or by post to:

These submissions will be considered by the Ecological Assessment Unit (EAU) and will inform a determination pursuant to Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011-2021.

Please note that submissions received may be made available on the Government’s website. See the Consultation’s Privacy Statement under the Documents link for further information.

Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan

Appendices

Appendices - Draft Glenveagh National Park Visitor Experience Development and Management Plan

Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report

Screening for Appropriate Assessment – EAU Determination on GVEDMP (Public Consultation)

Natura Impact Statement

Consultation Form

Privacy Statement

All submissions and observations submitted to the Department for this purpose are subject to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007-2014. Submissions are also subject to Data Protection legislation.

Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission (other than your name and contact details). It will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.

Please note that all submissions and observations received may be made available on the Department’s website. In any event, all submissions received will be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, Access to Information on the Environment Regulations, and Data Protection legislation.

See also the Privacy Statement.

Submissions and observations will be considered in the finalisation of the plan and the associated assessments, as outlined above.