Vol. 471 No. 6
91 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht the research currently being undertaken by his Department in relation to wildlife and, in particular, to population and habitat of mallard, teal, gadwall, widgeon, pintail, shoveler, scaup, tufted duck, pochard, goldeneye, golden plover, snipe, jack snipe, pheasant, woodcock, curlew and wild geese; and the figures in relation to counties Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Longford, and Roscommon. [21402/96]
Surveys, censuses, monitoring programmes, etc., relating to research being undertaken or planned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, particularly in relation to wild birds and their habitats, are listed below. These surveys are determined by statutory and international obligations, particularly under the Wildlife Act, 1976, Council Directive on the conservation of wild birds, 79/409/EEC and Council Directive on the conservation of national habitats and of wild fauna and flöra 92/43/EEC.
— Natural heritage areas, special protection areas, special areas of conservation — fauna, flora and habitat inventory programme, including boundary surveys.
—I-WeBS (Irish Wetland Bird Survey) is an ongoing monitoring programme of wintering waterbirds covering all of the wetland species, including those wetland species listed by the Deputy.
— Seabird colony register-seabird monitoring programme involves maintaining a database on seabird colonies and monitoring productivity.
— Bird ringing, including general and specific species (e.g. Terns), maintaining ringing database, etc.
—Waterfowl study Shannon callows.
— Breeding waders Surveys.
