Written Answers Nos. 220-234
220. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of approved housing bodies that have sold housing units funded under the CLSS scheme; the number of units sold; the conditions under which sale agreements were entered into; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45754/19]
View answerI am not aware of any social housing units funded under the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme (CLSS), which have been sold by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs).
AHBs in general operate as providers of social housing, and their approach is set out in their own internal rules (including Memorandum and Articles of Association). Accordingly, I do not expect that the disposal of their social housing stock would ordinarily arise.
221. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if Irish Water will have the suitable resources to carry out improved works at the Leixlip water treatment plant in the interest of public safety in line with recent EPA recommendations. [45768/19]
View answerSince 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels.
Both our water and wastewater systems require substantial and sustained investment: to bring the systems up to the standards of a modern service; to provide for population growth and to build resilience in the face of climate change.
The Government has approved the Irish Water Strategic Funding Plan 2019-2024 comprising of a €6.1bn investment in infrastructure and assets and €4.9bn in operating costs and Irish Water will be able to meet any requirements for improvement works at Leixlip from this funding.
This significant multi-billion euro investment plan will support the continued operation, repair and upgrading of the country's water and wastewater infrastructure to support social and economic development across the State and protection of the water environment and public health.
222. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cad iad na heagraíochtaí agus na tograí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta a bheidh sí ag maoiniú sa bhliain 2020 i gcomparáid leo siúd a tugadh maoiniú dóibh sa bhliain 2019. [45469/19]
View answerCuireann mo Roinn idir chúnamh chaipitil agus reatha ar fáil i dtaca le clár leathan a chuidíonn leis an nGaeilge agus an nGaeltacht. Áirítear anseo an maoiniú do scéimeanna tacaíochta Gaeltachta agus Gaeilge faoi seach, maoiniú d'Údarás na Gaeltachta, Foras na Gaeilge agus maoiniú d'Oifig an Choimisnéir Teanga.
Ina theannta sin, ar ndóigh, tá ciste pleanála teanga faoi leith ann faoina ndéantar maoiniú ar bhonn leanúnach ar chur i bhfeidhm an phróisis pleanála teanga agus bearta faoi leith atá dlúthbhainteach leis.
Maidir leis an gClár Tacaíochtaí Pobail agus Teanga atá á riar ag mo Roinn ar leas na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht go príomha, beidh €7.37m ar fáil in 2020. Bainfear leas as an gcistíocht seo chun an trí scéim faoi leith a thagann faoina scáth a mhaoiniú eadhon: Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge, Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga agus Scéim na gCampaí Samhraidh. Ina theannta sin, bainfear leas as an gciste reatha seo chun maoiniú a chur ar fáil do thuairim is 12 eagraíocht Ghaeltachta ar leas na gclár oibre comhaontaithe atá á gcur i bhfeidhm acu go bliantúil ar son an phróisis pleanála teanga sa Ghaeltacht.
Comhthreomhar leis an gcúnamh reatha, tá cistíocht ar fiú €2.322m á cur ar fáil faoin gclár in 2020 a mbainfear leas as chun cabhrú tuilleadh le forbairt áiseanna pobail agus teanga sa Ghaeltacht.
Foilseofar sonraí iomlán an chaiteachais seo ar shuíomh mo Roinne ag deireadh na bliana ina ndéanfar rianú beacht ar an gcaoi a chaitheadh an soláthar airgid iomlán atá luaite faoin gClár Tacaíochtaí Pobail agus Teanga agus an próiseas pleanála teanga faoi seach.
Mar a bhaineann le réimse gnímh Scéimeanna Tacaíochta Gaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht, leanfar ar aghaidh ag maoiniú na n-eagraíochtaí agus tograí céanna in 2020 agus atáthar ag mhaoiniú i mbliana, tograí a bhfuil obair leanúnach ag baint leo. Maoineofar eagraíochtaí atá gníomhach sna réimsí gnó agus cultúrtha agus sna réimsí teicneolaíochta agus digitithe.
Leanfaidh mo Roinn ag cur maoinithe ar fáil d’institiúidí idirnáisiúnta agus clár Fulbright agus ICUF ar mhaithe le teagasc na Gaeilge agus dea-thoil i leith na Gaeilge agus an chultúir Ghaelaigh i gcoitinne a spreagadh agus a chothú trasna na hEorpa, sna Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, i gCeanada agus níos faide ó bhaile. Faoi láthair, tá maoiniú á dhéanamh ar cúrsaí in os cionn 40 institiúidí tríú leibhéal thar lear agus tá súil againn cur leis seo sna blianta amach romhainn.
Leanfaidh mo Roinn leis an maoiniú do thionscnaimh a thacaíonn le stádas na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil agus oibre den Aontas Eorpach. Áiríonn na tionscnaimh sin, mar shampla, forbairt bhunachar sonraí téarmaíochta an AE i nGaeilge atá á dhéanamh ag Fiontar, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath agus scéim intéirneachta i réimse an aistriúchain sna hinstitiúdí Eorpach.
Sa Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta, Éire 2040, fógraíodh ciste caipitil de €13m a bheidh ar fáil go dtí 2027 ar mhaithe le hionaid Ghaeilge a fhorbairt ar fud na tíre, agus béim ar leith ar na Bailte Seirbhíse Gaeltachta, na Líonraí Gaeilge agus na ceantair sin ina bhfuil feidhm le Scéim Phobail Ghaeilge de chuid Fhoras na Gaeilge. Tá mo Roinn ag plé le cúig eagraíocht faoi láthair maidir le hiarratis caipitil, agus súil againn go mbeidh borradh faoin obair seo de bharr na dtograí seo agus tograí eile a thiocfaidh chun cinn an bhliain seo chugainn.
Anuas air sin, tá tacaíocht an Rialtas d'fhorbairt Ionad Gaeilge agus Cultúir i lár chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath leagtha amach sa Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta, Tionscadal Éire 2040. Tá coiste stiúrtha curtha ar bun agus staidéar féideartheachta maoinithe ag mo Roinn ar mhaithe le 6 Sráid Fhearchair, Ceannceathrú Chonradh na Gaeilge, a fhorbairt mar lárionad Ghaeilge. Tá i gceist iarratas ar chead pleanála don fhorbairt a chur isteach roimh dheireadh na bliana seo.
Oifig an Choimisnéir Teanga
Leanfaidh an oifig seo lena ról thábhachtach maidir leis an nGaeilge ó thaobh monatóireacht, imscrúduithe, comhairle agus tuairisciú tríd an maoiniú atá curtha ar fáil di ó mo Roinn do 2020.
Údarás na Gaeltachta
Maidir le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta, fógraíodh sa Cháinaisnéis le déanaí, go mbeidh €1m breise in airgead caipitil á fháil ag an eagraíocht in 2020 chun a leithdháileadh ar bhun-chaipiteal a thabhairt suas go dtí €10m, méadú de bhreis agus 11% le hais 2019. Is cinnte go gcabhróidh an chistíocht bhreise sin leis an Údarás poist a choinneáil ina gcliantchuideachtaí sa Ghaeltacht agus tuilleadh infheistíochta a mhealladh go ceantair Ghaeltachta.
Ár ndóigh fógraíodh sa cháinaisnéis chomh maith go gcuirfear €200,000 breise in airgead reatha ar fáil d'Údarás na Gaeltachta in 2020 le dáileadh ar na heagraíochtaí pobalbhunaithe agus comharchumainn Ghaeltachta atá á maoiniú ag an eagraíocht. Sin ós cionn €1m nó méadú de 25%, in airgead breise atá curtha ar fáil don earnáil thábhachtach seo le trí bliana anuas.
Straitéis Fiche-Bliain Don Ghaeilge 2010 - 2030
Is é an Plean Gníomhaíochta 2018-2022 a d’fhoilsigh mo Roinn i mí Meithimh 2018 an mapa bóthair atá leagtha amach chun cúram a dhéanamh d'fheidhmiú na Straitéíse 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge don tréimhse cúig bliana ó 2018 go dtí 2022. Is ann a leagtar amach cad atá beartaithe a dhéanamh sa tréimhse sin chun tuilleadh cúraim a dhéanamh den Ghaeilge agus den Ghaeltacht mar a bhaineann sé leis na naoi réimse gnímh faoi leith atá luaite sa Straitéis.
Mar atá ráite agam go minic roimhe seo, ag croílár an Phlean Gníomhaíochta, tá na bearta comhaontaithe a leagtar amach ann. Tá breis agus 180 díobh ann, a chuirfear i bhfeidhm i gcomhar le os cionn 60 páirtí leasmhar. Leagtar an bhéim is mó ar an méid a dhéanfar go sonrach ar bhonn comhpháirtíochta thar 5 bliana. Tá tráthchlár ama luaite le gach beart agus luaitear chomh maith, ar ndóigh, na páirtithe a bheidh freagrach as na bearta a chur i bhfeidhm.
Tá an próiseas pleanála teanga a fheidhmítear faoi réir fhorálacha Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, lárnach do chur i bhfeidhm na Straitéise. Tá maoiniú suntasach á chur ar fáil ag mo Roinn don phróiseas seo le hardú de €0.5m slánaithe trí bhuiséad 2020. Tríd seo, leanfaidh mo Roinn ag maoiniú eagraíochtaí atá gníomhach i gcur i bhfeidhm an phróisis ar an talamh.
An Foras Teanga
Faoin Acht um Chomhaontú na Breataine-na hÉireann 1999, tá ról reáchtúil ag Foras na Gaeilge chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn ar bhonn uile-oileáin. Is í an Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh Theas (CATT) a cheadaíonn an buiséad d’Fhoras na Gaeilge mar áisíneacht den bhforas trasteorann, An Foras Teanga. In éagmais CATT, tá Foras na Gaeilge ag feidhmiú faoi réir socraithe eatramhaigh ag leibhéal buiséid a ceadaíodh i 2016. Seachas maoiniú bliantúil a chur ar fail, níl aon bhaint ag mo Roinn le riaradh scéimeanna Fhoras na Gaeilge.
223. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the residents in the Glenamole region of the Dublin Mountains use parts of the national park in that area to graze animals and that there have been numerous requests to the local authorities to install cattle grids in the area to prevent the sheep from roaming onto the four public roads the run through the park; if her attention has been further drawn to a precedent that exists of installing cattle grids on public park lands (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45629/19]
View answerThe National Parks and Wildlife Service was asked by representatives of the local community to endorse the installation of cattle grids at Glenasmole, Co. Dublin and issued a letter of support in this regard in January of 2016.
The sites in question are at the location of previously existing, now defunct, commonage gates. Such systems were designed in an Ireland where there was very little traffic so the presence of a gate across a road was not a big issue. The gates were used in the past to ensure that sheep remained grazing the open hill rather than returning to the fields lower down.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has no issues with the installation of cattle grids at these sites. The area is designated a Special Area of Conservation for its mixture of heathland types. This is a habitat which requires management by grazing. The presence of a suitable number of sheep on the hill is positive for the favourable conservation of this habitat.
224. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the definition of regulated coursing matches requires clubs to comply with rules 11 and 13 of a club (details supplied) regarding the open seasons order for which she has sole responsibility. [45631/19]
View answer225. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the definition of regulated coursing matches requires clubs to comply with directive 11 of a club (details supplied) regarding the open seasons order for which she has sole responsibility. [45632/19]
View answer226. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the definition of regulated coursing matches requires greyhounds to be wearing the proper collars in line with rule 109 of a club (details supplied) regarding the open seasons order for which she has sole responsibility. [45633/19]
View answer227. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason 19 affiliated clubs of a club (details supplied) referred to in a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine were not listed in the licence schedule for the 2018-19 season in relation to conditions of the hare netting licence; and the measures in place to monitor their activity. [45634/19]
View answer228. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the interpretation and extent of the open seasons order set out in paragraphs 6.0 to 6.3 of a submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine in respect of the open seasons order for which she has sole responsibility; and if this was the case prior to the date of the submission. [45635/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 224 to 228, inclusive, together.
The legislative base for both parkland and open hare coursing is the Wildlife (Wild Mammals) (Open Seasons) Order 2005 which allows the hunting of hares, including coursing with dogs for “coursing at regulated coursing matches”. The Wildlife Acts defines a regulated coursing match as follows:
"regulated coursing match means a coursing match held in accordance with the rules for such matches which are for the time being both published and approved by the Irish Coursing Club pursuant to the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958.”
The majority of coursing meetings organised by the Irish Coursing Club relate to regular park coursing where hares are captured under licence, are kept in a hare park, are released to course over a designated track and then re-released back into the wild. It is my understanding that in open coursing hares are not captured but are already present in the countryside. Clearly, a licence to capture hares is not required for Open coursing events where hares are not captured and as such there is no requirement for all such events to be listed on the schedule to the licence issued to the Irish Coursing Club.
In its opening statement delivered to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 9 July 2019, the ICC made a distinction between Affiliated Clubs and Associated Clubs. My Department was not aware of the distinction. It is a matter for ICC to clarify the legal status of such Associated Clubs and my Department is pursuing this matter with the ICC.
229. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the additional funding provided for nature conservation and biodiversity in budget 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45744/19]
View answerThe total funding for my Department allocated in Budget 2020 is €354m – an increase of 5% on 2019 – which represents a cumulative increase of 17% for our culture, language and heritage over the last 2 years. The total funding increase for 2020 is €7.2m in capital expenditure (an increase of 10% on 2019) and over €8m in current expenditure (an increase of 3% on 2019).
Total funding for our Built and Natural Heritage sector in 2020 will amount to €62.5m, up from €54m last year – an increase of over €8m or 15.5% on 2019 – comprising additional capital provision of €6.75m (up 44%) on 2019 and additional current funding of €1.623m.
I have allocated €7m in funding to embark on an accelerated programme of peatlands restoration and conservation works. This programme will result in 1,800 hectares of restored peatland in 2020, generating 100 jobs in the Midlands. It is part of a multi-annual programme which will ultimately lead to the storage of 28 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Restoration and rehabilitation of raised bogs will provide multiple additional ecosystem services such as water and air quality improvements, flood mitigation, enhancing biodiversity, opportunities for tourism development, and contribute to the social and economic well being of local communities.
I have also provided for an additional €1m to accelerate key nature conservation and biodiversity programmes under the National Parks and Wildlife Service to include the recruitment of front line conservation specialists.
The Biodiversity Grants for Local Authorities scheme which I introduced in 2018 will continue in 2020 with €700,000 allocated to assist local authorities with projects that support actions in the National Biodiversity Action Plan, including those that target invasive alien species in their areas.
The NPWS Farm Plan programme will also be enhanced by doubling the fund available to €1m to support measures to protect biodiversity and assist farmers with lands designated as Special Areas of Conservation in their role as custodians of nature.
I have also ensured that funding is available to continue to support Ireland’s national parks and reserves including the Tourism Interpretative Masterplan under which the Government is investing to enhance visitor centre experiences and facilities.
Over the past year, I have listened carefully to the extensive public debate on biodiversity loss and the threats to nature. The National Biodiversity Conference in Dublin in February, which I hosted, the development of the Seeds for Nature initiative, the wide ranging public debate on the Heritage Ireland 2030 Plan as well as the extensive engagement across Government on Climate Action were instrumental in my securing significant additional resources for this area.
230. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which visitors from overseas are encouraged to visit cultural and-or heritage sites on a co-ordinated basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45782/19]
View answerMy Department fully supports the appropriate conservation of Ireland’s rich portfolio of heritage sites, both as important assets in their own right and to optimise their contribution to economic development and tourism promotion. It is in regular and ongoing contact with the Office of Public Works and Fáilte Ireland to agree and devise shared priorities and policy approaches with respect to the management of national monuments and their presentation to visitors from home and abroad.
231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which the number of species of migratory small birds has diminished in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45784/19]
View answer232. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the degree to which the number of various species of native birds or animals has diminished in recent years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45785/19]
View answer233. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which her Department monitors the number and species of migratory birds spending winters or summers here; the degree to which the species have altered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45786/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 to 233, inclusive, together.
My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which underpin the legislative and policy framework for the protection and conservation of our natural heritage. In particular, the 2011 Regulations transpose two key pieces of EU nature legislation: the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.
The main aim of the Habitats Directive is to contribute towards the conservation of biodiversity by requiring Member States to take measures to maintain or restore natural habitats and wild species listed on the Annexes to the Directive at a favourable conservation status. These annexes list habitats (Annex I) and species (Annexes II, IV and V) which are considered threatened in the EU territory. The listed habitats and species represent a considerable proportion of biodiversity in Ireland and the Directive itself is one of the most important pieces of legislation governing the conservation of biodiversity in Europe.
Under Article 11 of the Directive, Ireland is obliged to undertake surveillance of the conservation status of the natural habitats and species in the Annexes and, under Article 17, to report to the European Commission every six years on their status and on the implementation of the measures taken under the Directive.
In April 2019, Ireland submitted the third assessment of conservation status for 59 habitats and 60 species (including three overview assessments of species at a group level). A further 8 species are considered to be vagrant in Ireland.
The Article 17 report for 2019 is published in 3 volumes: An overview report (Volume 1), released in August 2019, provides more detail on the methodologies, an easy-to-read summary of the results and a list of contributors to the assessments. Volume 2 (Habitats) and Volume 3 (Species) contain the detailed reports and relevant scientific information. The report is available on the NPWS website (https://www.npws.ie/publications/article-17-reports).
While many habitats are still considered to be in unfavourable status, the picture for plant and animal species is substantially better, with over 70% reported as stable or increasing.
Article 12.1 of the Birds Directive states that “Member States shall forward to the Commission every three years, starting from 7 April 1981, a report on the implementation of national provisions taken under this Directive.” In 2008 a new system of bird reporting was developed similar to the reporting format under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive. This also included a transition from a three-year to six-year reporting cycle, synchronised with the reporting under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive. The first report under the revised format covered the period 2008 – 2012 and reported out on Ireland’s regularly occurring breeding species as well as those wintering and passage species that trigger SPA classification.
As part of this reporting obligation Ireland submitted, on schedule, 209 season specific assessments, including assessments for all of Ireland’s regularly occurring breeding species and a large proportion of those species’ populations that occur here during the non-breeding period, to the European Topic Centre on October 31st 2019. Additionally a general report was also transmitted. The 209 ‘species-seasons’ figure can be broken down into:
- 142 assessments of breeding birds (including a short report on one species, Corn Bunting, that went extinct after the Birds Directive came into force);
- 63 wintering accounts with the vast majority related to wintering waterbird populations; and
- four accounts of birds using Ireland’s coastlines or her offshore waters on passage (i.e. three tern species and one shearwater).
Approximately 30% of the breeding species assessed are estimated to have remained stable or increased in abundance over the long-term. This cohort includes those relatively recent colonists with strong population growth including Little Egret, Great Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Bearded Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker as well as our re-introduced raptor species of Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle and Red Kite (along with other raptor species Buzzard and Peregrine). These recent additions to Ireland’s breeding bird community need to be viewed in the context that almost 20% of Ireland’s breeding bird species, and where available data allows, are considered to be in long term decline.
The majority of Ireland’s breeding seabird species’ long term population trends are now reckoned to be either stable or increasing and this follows through to quite consistent population increases within the breeding seabird group (where the available data allows) over the short-term period as well. Gannet continues to increase in abundance and breeding range with a relatively new colony established on Lambay Island off the east coast. In relation to the recorded short term population increases and with regard to the many short term breeding distribution increases it is possible that the increased level of breeding seabird survey effort over the last four years or so may be partially responsible for some of these recorded gains.
Of particular note are the very strong population increases with several of our breeding tern species (e.g. Roseate Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and Common Tern). At the site level it is evident that targeted conservation measures in the form of wardened tern colonies is resulting in direct and effective conservation positives. However several of these particular species’ estimated long-term breeding range trends are in decline or stagnant which not only reinforces the need for such conservation management interventions but also clearly sets out the on-going obligation that such conservation initiatives are maintained or where necessary (especially with regard to the management of predators) improved.
Robust and contemporary population estimates have been produced for approximately 85% of our breeding seabird species. Work is on-going in my Department with surveys of burrow nesting seabirds (e.g. Puffin, Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrel and Leach’s Storm Petrel) located on offshore marine islands.
Due to a lack of available data we have not provided contemporary population estimates for several species, some of which trigger SPA classifications (e.g. Chough, Kingfisher) and others that we have reported in the previous Article 12 round as having undergone significant long-term declines (e.g. Red Grouse, Woodcock with both of these species on Ireland’s Open Seasons Order). Plans to increase the monitoring effort for these species are to be prioritised over the coming years.
Some of our breeding farmland songbirds have been flagged in recent decades as being particularly vulnerable to the modernisation and intensification of agricultural practices. This ongoing change in agricultural practices has led to the extinction of Corn Bunting as a breeding bird in Ireland and has caused significant long term declines to species such as Yellowhammer, Whinchat and Twite for example. The latter two species’ estimated populations are now considered to be both less than 100 pairs.
Countryside Bird Survey data for two ground nesting songbird species which are still relatively abundant and widespread, namely Meadow Pipit and Skylark were used for this reporting round. Their preferred breeding habitats include peatlands and unimproved grasslands, and both populations are in decline with the estimated short term abundance of Meadow Pipit declining by over 12% and for Skylark by almost 11%. Over the last 40 years or so the estimated breeding range of the latter has decreased by almost one quarter. Such estimated declines are of particular concern as both Meadow Pipit and Skylark make up significant proportions of the prey base of some of Ireland’s raptors of conservation concern including Merlin, Kestrel and Hen Harrier. The estimated short term declines for the latter two raptors are estimated to be circa 28% and 10% respectively.
Breeding waders as a group continue to suffer significant declines in both population and breeding range, in both the short- and long-term. Species such as Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Dunlin have declined by 93% or more in the long term. Certain breeding duck populations are also of concern with numbers of breeding Common Scoter continuing to decline to critically low levels. While this species’ range is stable, the population has declined 21-54% in the short-term and 61% in the long-term. The latest assessment of breeding Red-breasted Merganser (which was reproduced from the 2008-2012 reporting period due to a lack of contemporary data) estimates that this breeding population has declined 62% in the short-term.
The vast majority of those wintering populations assessed as part of the Article 12 Reporting process relate to wintering waterbirds. This group includes ducks, geese, swans and waders among others. Due to its geographical location, climate and wetland habitats, Ireland is an important host for hundreds of thousands of visiting waterbirds during the non-breeding/wintering seasons. Due to the relative sizes of their respective biogeographic populations, Ireland is of international importance for several waterbird species including Whooper Swan, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Brent Goose, and Black-tailed Godwit among others. The Article 12 reporting process does not seek information on the wintering range of these species.
Other birds that are not water-birds visit Ireland during the winter but good data to describe them precisely is not currently available.
More detailed data, with regard to the numbers of winter migrant water-birds, is available in the recent Irish Wildlife Manual number 106 published by my Department's NPWS: https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM_106_Irelands_Wintering_Waterbirds.pdf.
Information concerning Ireland's Article 12 report can be found at the NPWS website: https://www.npws.ie/status-and-trends-ireland%E2%80%99s-bird-species-%E2%80%93-article-12-reporting
In addition, NPWS and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency are working together with national experts and with the National Biological Data Centres North and South to produce regional Red Lists for the island of Ireland. The production of Red Lists is an action under our National Biodiversity Plans. Red Lists are published on an irregular basis, as datasets and the necessary national expertise for taxonomic groups become available.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) developed the standard Red List approach for dealing with the presentation of information on rare and threatened species. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria were developed in the early nineties to further objectively assess and prioritise species for conservation purposes at a global scale.
Ireland's Red Lists are available on the NPWS website: https://www.npws.ie/publications/red-lists
234. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which reinstatement or preservation works are proposed or are in hand in respect of buildings of cultural or historical significance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45787/19]
View answerMy role with regard to the protection and management of our architectural heritage is set out in the provisions of relevant legislation, as are the roles of local authorities and the responsibilities of owners.
In this instance I understand that the Deputy is asking primarily about supports provided by my Department for buildings of historical significance. My Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF), administered by the local authorities. This year, my Department awarded €2.5 million to 408 projects under the BHIS and €1.824 million to 70 projects under the HSF.
I will shortly be announcing details of the Historic Structures Fund 2020 and the Built Heritage Investment Scheme 2020.
Details of these schemes, including the amounts being allocated to each local authority are published on my Department’s website and on local authority websites.
In 2019, my Department has provided €350,000 of funding to the OPW to assist in the conservation and presentation of historic buildings and national monuments in State ownership. My Department’s National Monuments Service works in close collaboration with the OPW on survey, excavation and research work to optimise the protection, management, interpretation and presentation of national monuments in State care.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports annually, having regard to competing priorities for limited resources. Grant schemes are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website, www.heritagecouncil.ie.
