Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 July 2020
104. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a complete report will be provided on plans to increase biodiversity nationwide over the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16086/20]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the implementation of a range of legislation and policy relating to biodiversity and nature in Ireland and is the National Focal Point for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an overarching international agreement underpinning global biodiversity conservation. In this context, my Department is the lead authority for the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021.
The current National Biodiversity Action Plan captures the objectives, targets and actions for biodiversity to be undertaken by a wide range of government, civil society and private sectors to achieve Ireland’s 'Vision for Biodiversity'. It contains 119 actions under a framework of seven strategic objectives. These encompass mainstreaming biodiversity into decision making across all sectors; strengthening the knowledge base for the conservation; increasing awareness and appreciation of biodiversity and ecosystem services; conserving and restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services in the wider countryside, in the marine environment and in protected areas, as well as for protected species; and strengthening international governance for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The Plan is an all-of-Government document and progress is monitored through the inter-departmental Biodiversity Working Group, which meets at least twice a year, and also by an independent advisory group, the Biodiversity Forum. Earlier this year, my Department published an Interim Review of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 (https://www.npws.ie/legislation/national-biodiversity-plan).
The Interim Review also drew from Ireland's 6th National Report to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This 4-yearly report reviewed Ireland’s progress in relation to the five Strategic Goals of the Convention and 20 Biodiversity Targets set by the CBD in 2010 in Aichi, Japan, for implementation by 2020.
My Department leads on a range of plans and initiatives for nature and biodiversity, and collaborates with many Departments, Agencies and sectors of society. These initiatives include EU LIFE funded projects such as KerryLIFE, a 5-year project on the endangered freshwater pearl mussel, now coming to an end but replaced and greatly enlarged by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Pearl Mussel Project. LIFE Atlantic Crex will work towards improving the conservation status of the Corncrake. Two large scale projects, LIFE IP-PAF Wild Atlantic Nature, which focusses on improving the conservation status of our blanket bog network, and the Waters of LIFE project, (the latter developed by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government) will benefit biodiversity but also water.
My Department manages a Local Authority Biodiversity Grant scheme, which this year has granted funding to 38 projects across the country to carry out actions in support of the objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan, and also operates the National Parks and Wildlife Farm Plan Scheme and the Curlew Conservation Programme, which was established in 2017.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine operates more than 20 projects under the European Innovation Partnership initiative. As well as the Pearl Mussel Project, mentioned above, there are successful and important projects on the Burren, the Hen Harrier and a wider range of locally–led projects supporting biodiversity across the country. This is all in addition to GLAS, the main agri-environment scheme.
Decisions on funding and resources for biodiversity in the next 12 months will be considered in the context of the Programme for Government and wider budgetary considerations and discussions later in the year. The Programme for Government contains a number of ambitious commitments in the area of biodiversity which will build on all of the existing programmes and I look forward to a renewed emphasis and engagement on this important policy area.
