Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Oct 1999

Vol. 508 No. 5

Written Answers. - Wildlife Protection.

Dick Spring

Question:

55 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the progress, if any, which has been made in each of the past three years with regard to protecting endangered wildlife species; and the various initiatives, if any, put in place over this period. [19169/99]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

Dúchas, the Heritage Service of my Department has an ongoing surveying, monitoring, designation and protection programme for the conservation and protection of all wildlife species and in particular, endangered species. It is not possible to detail all the initiatives which have been implemented in the last three years and I propose to confine myself to the principal initiatives put in place during that period.

On the legislative front, the EU habitats directive was transposed into national legislation through the European Communities ( Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997. Earlier this year I enacted the Flora (Protection) Order, 1999, which significantly increased the range of flora species which receive protection under section 21 of the Wildlife Act. On 29 June this year I was particularly delighted to publish the long awaited Wildlife (Amendment) Bill which will, when enacted, dramatically improve the statutory protection regime in place for the conservation of wildlife and their habitats.

A further 24 wetland sites were designated under the Ramsar Convention in 1996. Under the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997, I have formally transmitted 145 candidate SACs to the EU Commission and have advertised more than 200 other proposed candidate sites. In order to address the overgrazing by sheep, my Department in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development developed a strategy to identify the necessary reductions needed in sheep flocks to eliminate overgrazing. Funding was provided in 1998 which helped facilitate, £6 million was provided by my Department towards funding of a fodder scheme and to introduce a 30 per cent stock reduction in designated degraded counties. I am also introducing systems and procedures for the payment of a fair and proper level of compensation to land owners and users who suffer a financial loss as a result of the designation of their lands.

On the monitoring side, after significant preparatory work in 1997, my Department in partnership with Birdwatch Ireland, The Heritage Council and with sponsorship from the ESB, the Irish countryside bird survey was launched in 1998. This major survey will provide a comprehensive framework for the ongoing monitoring of Ireland's "common" breeding birds. It will provide information on changes in populations of a wide range of Ireland's breeding birds from year to year while identifying the factors responsible for such changes and devising appropriate conservation measures. A three year crayfish reintroduction scheme was instituted in County Westmeath in 1998. I am also pleased that I obtained approval from the Minister for Finance for additional manpower resources for Dúchas – national parks and wildlife, which enabled that division of my Department to discharge its significantly increased functions and responsibilities. In addition to extra administrative and research staff, over 30 conservation rangers are being recruited. Many of these are now in place and are contributing to the enforcement of conservation measures and monitoring of species under the various legislative provisions in place.

While the initiatives detailed here are not exhaustive, they represent major contributions towards the protection and conservation of all wildlife species and their habitats.