Vol. 525 No. 5
104 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if her attention has been drawn to the report prepared for the Heritage Council which showed a severe decline in the number of well known bird species due to changes in farming methods; the steps being taken to deal with the threat to these species and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25583/00]
The recent report by the Heritage Council highlights that a number of birds in agricultural areas such as the grey partridge, turtle dove, corn bunting, yellowhammer and linnets have suffered serious contractions in their breeding range. Many formerly common and widespread bird species have suffered declines in numbers – in some cases contractions in their ranges – due to agricultural intensification, mechanisation and other changes in agricultural practices.
The protection afforded by the designation of special protection areas, natural heritage areas and special areas of conservation will contribute to the maintenance of suitable habitats for wild birds including the birds in question. This, together with the environmental benefits from improved practices under the rural environment protection scheme operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, will, I believe, represent a significant benefit for the protection of all our wildlife, including the bird species referred to above.
Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, has also supported specific conservation initiatives on two endangered species of farmland birds, the grey partridge and the corncrake. The grey partridge project, part-funded by Dúchas since 1991, is a programme of survey, research and management of remaining wild populations. The rural environment protection scheme operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the corncrake grant scheme, funded by Dúchas since 1993 in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, encourage farmers with nesting corncrakes to farm in a corncrake friendly manner.
As a response to the scarcity of quantitative data available on these birds, a countrywide bird survey was set up in 1998. Dúchas has been partners in and co-funders of the countryside bird survey since its inception in 1998. This is a nationwide annual monitoring programme which quantifies population changes of common Irish birds and will be a valuable database for assessing the impact of changes on farmland birds in the future. Such data will facilitate a response to threat in the future.
