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(26) Déantar an tAcht um Fhiadhúlra, 1976 a leasú in Alt 17, fo-alt (1), tríd an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach roimh “ansin, faoi réir fho-alt (5) den alt seo”— “nó go bhfuil gnéithe tírdhreacha ag talamh ar gnéithe iad lena ngabhann tábhacht mhór do flora agus fauna fiáine, lena n-áirítear éin, agus ar gnéithe iad ina n-áirítear na gnéithe sin arb amhlaidh ina leith: (a) de bhua a struchtúir línigh agus leanúnaigh, amhail aibhneacha nó canálacha maille lena mbruacha nó na córais thraidisiúnta chun teorainneacha gort a mharcáil, nó (b) de bhua a bhfeidhme mar chlocha cora, amhail linnte nó coillte beaga, go bhfuil siad riachtanach d’imirce, do scaipeadh agus do mhalartú géiniteach speiceas fiáin, chun críocha na Treorach um Ghnáthóga nó na Treorach um Éin,” (27) Déantar an tAcht um Fhiadhúlra (Leasú), 2000 a leasú, in Alt 16, fo-alt (6), tríd an méid seo a leanas a chur in ionad an fho-ailt sin— "(6) (a) I gcás ina ndéanfaidh an tAire, nó ina gcuirfidh sé nó sí faoi deara, fógra a fhoilsiú faoi fho-alt (1), beidh aird aige nó aici ar cibé an fiú, ar bhonn na comhairle eolaíochta atá ar fáil ag an Aire aon tráth áirithe, an limistéar a chaomhnú (i) de bhua an díola spéise eolaíochta atá aige do speiceas, pobal, gnáthóg, tírghné nó gné geolaíochta nó geomhoirfeolaíochta amháin nó níos mó nó dá éagsúlacht i dtaca le saintréithe nádúrtha de, nó (ii) i bhfianaise cheanglais na Treorach um Éin agus na Treorach um Ghnáthóga: (I) de bhua na ngnéithe dá thírdhreach lena ngabhann tábhacht mhór do flora agus fauna fiáine, lena n-áirítear éin, ar gnéithe iad ina n-áirítear na gnéithe sin arb amhlaidh ina leith: (A) de bharr a struchtúir línigh agus leanúnaigh, amhail aibhneacha nó canálacha maille lena mbruacha nó na córais thraidisiúnta chun teorainneacha gort a mharcáil, nó (B) de bhua a bhfeidhme mar chlocha cora, amhail linnte nó coillte beaga, go bhfuil siad riachtanach d’imirce, do scaipeadh agus do mhalartú géiniteach speiceas fiáin, chun críocha na Treorach um Ghnáthóga nó na Treorach um Éin, nó (III) a thábhacht maidir leis an bpobal speiceas dá dtagraítear in Airteagal 1 den Treoir um Éin a chothabháil ar leibhéal a chomhfhreagraíonn, go háirithe, do cheanglais éiceolaíochta, eolaíochta agus chultúir, agus ceanglais eacnamaíochta agus áineasa á gcur i gcuntas ag an am céanna, nó chun pobal na speiceas sin a oiriúnú de réir an leibhéil sin, nó (iii) a thábhacht maidir le héagsúlacht leordhóthanach agus réimse leordhóthanach gnáthóg a chaomhnú, a chothabháil nó a athbhunú trí bhiotóip agus gnáthóga a chaomhnú, a chothabháil agus a athbhunú do gach ceann de na speicis éan dá dtagraítear in Airteagal 1 den Treoir um Éin, go háirithe maidir leis an méid seo a leanas— (I) Láithreáin Eorpacha a chruthú, nó (II) gnáthóga atá laistigh de Láithreáin Eorpacha, agus lasmuigh díobh, a chothabháil agus a bhainistiú de réir riachtanais éiceolaíochta na ngnáthóg sin, nó (III) biotóip scriosta a athbhunú, agus (IV) biotóip a chruthú. (b) Maidir leis an gcomhairle eolaíochta dá dtagraítear i mír (a), cuirfear i gcuntas inti, de réir mar is cuí, méid an láithreáin, suíomh an láithreáin, an cineál gné nádúrtha nó gnéithe nádúrtha atá sa láithreán, tábhacht an láithreáin chun críocha na Treorach um Éin agus na Treorach um Ghnáthóga agus méid an tionchair dhiúltaigh atá, nó méid an tionchair dhiúltaigh a d’fhéadfadh a bheith, ag daoine ar an láithreán.”
(26) The Wildlife Act 1976 is amended in Section 17 subsection (1) by the insertion of the following before “then, subject to subsection (5) of this section”— “or that land has features of the landscape which are of major importance for wild flora and fauna including birds, which include those features which by virtue of: (a) their linear and continuous structure, such as rivers or canals with their banks or the traditional systems of marking field boundaries, or (b) their function as stepping stones, such as ponds or small woods, are essential for the migration, dispersal and genetic exchange of wild species, for the purposes of the Habitats Directive or the Birds Directive,” (27) The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 is amended in Section 16 subsection (6) by the replacement of that subsection by the following— “(6) (a) The Minister, in publishing or causing to be published a notice under subsection (1), shall have regard to whether, on the basis of the scientific advice available to the Minister at a particular time, the area is worthy of conservation by virtue of (i) its special scientific interest for one or more species, communities, habitats, landforms or geological or geomorphological features, or for its diversity of natural attributes, or (ii) in light of the requirements of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive: (I) the features of its landscape which are of major importance for wild flora and fauna including birds, which include those features which by reason of: (A) their linear and continuous structure, such as rivers or canals with their banks or the traditional systems of marking field boundaries, or (B) their function as stepping stones, such as ponds or small woods, are essential for the migration, dispersal and genetic exchange of wild species, for the purposes of the Habitats Directive or the Birds Directive, or (II) its importance for the maintenance of the population of the species referred to in Article 1 of the Birds Directive at a level that corresponds in particular to ecological, scientific and cultural requirements, while taking account of economic and recreational requirements, or for adapting the population of these species to that level, or (iii) its importance for the preservation, maintenance or re-establishment of a sufficient diversity and area of habitats by the preservation, maintenance and re-establishment of biotopes and habitats for all of the species of birds referred to in Article 1 of the Birds Directive, in particular for— (I) the creation of European Sites, or (II) the upkeep and management in accordance with the ecological needs of habitats inside and outside European Sites, or (III) the re-establishment of destroyed biotopes, and (IV) the creation of biotopes. (b) The scientific advice referred to in paragraph (a) shall take account of, as appropriate, the size of the site, its location, the type of natural feature or features contained in it, its importance for the purposes of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive and the degree of negative, or potentially negative, human impact.”