Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 March 2022
162. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to improve biodiversity protection in Ireland in view of the launch of Heritage Ireland 2030 and in the context of 3 March 2022 being World Wildlife Day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11579/22]
View answerLast week, I was delighted to launch Heritage Ireland 2030, the first national heritage plan in 20 years and a commitment under the Programme for Government. Heritage Ireland 2030 recognises the fundamental importance of our heritage in all its forms – natural, built, cultural, linguistic, tangible and intangible – and provides an overarching strategic framework for the management and protection of our heritage for the next ten years, including over 150 actions aimed at achieving this. Of these, several actions relate to natural heritage and biodiversity, including: a commitment to support the full implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 and subsequent plans; to support and resource the National Biodiversity Data Centre; to support more all-island approaches to biodiversity protection; and, to establish a Citizen’s Assembly on Biodiversity. The plan and full list of actions can be found on my Department’s website at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/778b8-heritage-ireland-2030/.
Over the coming months, officials in my Department will engage closely with key partners across government and in the Heritage Council to develop and publish, by Q3 of 2021, a plan for implementing these actions. Updates on this process will be posted regularly on my Department’s website.
Following a comprehensive review of national, European and international biodiversity policies and other relevant plans and strategies, the first draft of the Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2022-2026 has been developed. The new Plan acknowledges the intrinsic value of biodiversity to our well being and will increase the focus on the root causes of biodiversity loss. The draft Plan has been sent for stakeholder review to bodies and organisations that will be involved in its implementation and a broader public consultation period will follow.
