Vol. 374 No. 10
asked the Minister for Finance if he will list as accurately as possible the wildlife, including birds, common to this country in (a) 1950, (b) 1960, (c) 1970, (d) 1980 and at present, the species which have been exterminated; the measures if any, his Department are taking to protect rare species, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
55.
asked the Minister for Finance the approximate numbers of (a) corncrakes, (b) pine martens, (c) sand martens and (d) golden eagles presently habitating this country; if he will comment on their numbers and locations in recent years; and the plans, if any, he has to ensure that these species are preserved.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 55 together.
A full list of the species of wildlife occurring in Ireland is not available, but information is available for certain groups of species. The definitive list for mammals, amphibians and reptiles is A Provisional Distribution Atlas of Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals in Ireland by E. Ní Lamhna and available from An Foras Forbartha.
For birds, the definitive work is Birds of Ireland by Kennedy, Rutledge and Scroup which is available from commercial bookstores.
The number of species of plants occurring runs into several thousands and no complete listing has been compiled. However, the Census Catalogue of the Flora of Ireland by Scannell and Synnott lists the higher species of plants occurring in this country.
The number of species of invertebrates to be found in Ireland is in the tens of thousands and no systematic work in listing them has been undertaken. Comparative lists for the years mentioned are not available.
In relation to the population sizes of species, the critical factors are the general status of any population of animals and the degree to which any existing threats may adversely affect that status. Precise censusing is not therefore generally undertaken and the numbers of individuals of species is not known. The corncrake population is recorded as declining and the pine marten is increasing. Sandmartins are a common species and the golden eagle is not resident, but is recorded as a rare visitor.
Plans for the conservation of these and all other protected species are based on two main strategies, which are the regulation of exploitation and the protection of habitats. Exploitation is regulated under the Wildlife Act, 1976 and enforced by a corps of wildlife officers. Protection of habitat is undertaken within the general policy objective of the creation of a network of nature reserves representative of all ecosystems to be found in the country.
The species protected at present under the Wildlife Act are as follows:
Wild Birds:
All species.
Wild Animals:
Badger, Bat Species, Deer Species, Hare Species, Hedgehog, Otter, Pine Marten, Red Squirrel, Dolphin Species, Porpoise Species, Seal Species, Whale Species, Natterjack Toad, Frog, Lizard, Newt, Pygmy Shrew and Stoat.
Flora:
Fifty-two species as listed in the attached Flora Protection Order, 1980.
