Louise O'Reilly
Question:226. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when a response to correspondence (details supplied) submitted to his Department will be issued. [27342/22]
View answerTuesday, 31 May 2022
Questions (226, 227, 228)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:227. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he supports the calls for an independent examination in relation to correspondence (details supplied) submitted to his Department of his Department’s handling of the urban gull issue since 2016, especially given the recent publication by the Government of the Report of the Strategic Review of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the many serious issues identified in that report. [27343/22]
View answerLouise O'Reilly
Question:228. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason that his Department persisted with the derogation decision threshold that is, represent a threat to public health and safety (details supplied), instead of using the correct derogation decision threshold as specified in the 1979 Birds Directive Article 9.1.a), and in S.I. No. 477/2011 - European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011.55.2.a) that derogations may be made in the interests of public health and safety; and the specific provisions in primary legislation that he is relying upon in choosing to persist with the 1986 threshold text. [27344/22]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 226, 227 and 228 together.
Work on the upcoming Wild Bird Declarations is ongoing. Minister O'Brien extended the existing Wild Bird Declarations by a period of three months up to the end of July 2022. This will allow for the completion of the review of submissions received as part of the public consultation process, the receipt of legal advice and other internal discussions in relation to species (including urban gulls) included in the Declarations.
Officials will be in touch directly with the Deputy in relation to the correspondence referenced. Implementation of the action plan to extensively restructure the National Parks & Wildlife Service is now under way and I very much look forward to seeing this develop over the next two years.