Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
377. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions taken by his Department or public bodies under his remit to inspect and regulate the premises and working practices of wildlife rehabilitation organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46738/21]
View answerThe Wildlife Licensing Unit (WLU) of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department issues licences under Section 22 (9) g & h and 23 (6) c & d of the Wildlife Act to retain and possess injured animals/birds.
In order to obtain a licence one must follow a significant and rigorous application process. All rehabilitation organisations are subject to this process.
In order to obtain a licence under these sections of the Wildlife Act, individuals/organisations must first fill in the appropriate application form and forward to the WLU.
All application forms are forwarded to relevant divisional staff for review, including visitation to premises that will house animals/birds during the course of their rehabilitation. Once cleared, the application form is reverted back to WLU, who then issue the licence.
This process includes the WLU sending the application to a local ranger/conservation officer for their observations. Local staff do inspect potential sites as part of the application process to ensure premises are suitable for the rehabilitation of animals and birds. Licences are only issued once this observation is complete and submitted back to the WLU.
