Vol. 520 No. 2
15 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if her attention has been drawn to the recent report by Birdwatch Ireland which showed that the number of bird species which are endangered in Ireland has increased by 50% to 18 in the past seven years; the steps being taken to ensure the survival of endangered species; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15305/00]
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 152 of 12 April.
I am aware that Birdwatch Ireland, together with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Northern Ireland, has carried out a study to identify Irish species which are in decline. A summary of the findings was published in the March edition of Wings, the newsletter of Birdwatch Ireland. My Department recently received from Birdwatch Ireland a copy of a final draft of the paper entitled Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland, which will be published shortly in the journal Irish Birds, Vol. 6, No. 3, 1999. I understand that the Wings and draft Irish Birds articles show 18 Irish species as red-listed, that is, species which have suffered a 50% decline in the past 25 years. While six of these red-listings relate to the North, concerns as to the conservation status also exist in the Republic where they are amber-listed. The paper is currently being examined by Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department. On completion of this examination I will be in a position to fully consider the findings and identify necessary remedial actions.
There are already a number of measures in place to protect endangered birds. All birds are protected under the Wildlife Act, 1976. Designation of special areas of conservation and special protection areas under the EU birds and habitats directive further strengthens the protection of all birds, endangered and otherwise.
Will the Minister agree that the statistics and information contained in the report are highly disturbing and that there seems to be one underlying difficulty, namely, the changes in farming methods, whether in terms of fewer cereal crops, the elimination of hedgerows or whatever? Will she not agree that before she got the final draft – because she already had the essential information – she should have entered into immediate urgent discussions with her colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, to develop strategies to arrest and reverse this decline?
My Department has ongoing discussions with the NGOs, including BirdWatch Ireland, and has been addressing these problems on an ongoing basis where resources have been available. I referred in my reply to the red list which contains 18 species. I will not read them all out but that information can be given to the Deputy if he wants it.
We have a fair idea.
Deputy Deasy came across some of them yesterday.
I am glad to hear it – no doubt it brightened his day. Of the 18 red listed bird species, the first six have been prioritised for conservation action. In some cases, this conservation action has taken place over a number of years.
We all know about the very difficult situation there was in relation to the corncrake and the need for immediate preservation. Dúchas has provided major funding for the preservation of corncrakes and has established special areas of conservation, including areas such as the Shannon callows, to ensure they will be looked after. The decline in corncrakes is considered to be due primarily to, as the Deputy said, agricultural intensi fication. Schemes such as REPS and provisions to look after hedgerows are extremely important if we are to continue to look after our birdlife. That is why I made special provisions for hedgerows in the wildlife legislation we debated in the House last week.
In regard to the roseate tern, the Department, in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland, has been running a programme of research and conservation at these colonies for over ten years. This programme has been very successful, resulting in a threefold increase in the roseate tern population.
The hen harrier is another bird that needs conservation. My Department, along with BirdWatch Ireland and other groups, is completing a national breeding census of the hen harrier, which I am told is a scarce bird of prey. This will enable the identification of important core areas where conservation measures can be implemented.
It is a variety of pigeon which hovers above the ground.
I remind the House that these are Priority Questions which are confined to the questioner.
An English aircraft is called after it.
They used it in the Falklands.
May I finish the answer to this question?
The Minister has 15 seconds to do so.
Another endangered bird is the nightjar—
We know about those.
—endangered as a result of the use of pesticides, which is an agricultural practice that has caused a number of problems for our wildlife over the years. However, this has been recognised and addressed, especially in the areas where REP schemes are at work. I am told that measures to deal with overgrazing will improve the situation of the red grouse.
We must proceed to the next question.
We are well aware of the difficulties with some of these species. We are working with a number of NGOs to see how we can continue the work we are doing on conservation and preservation. We plan to do more work on this as resources become available.
As Deputy Carey is unable to be here, we must pass over Question No. 16.
