Responsibility for the protection and conservation of bird species rests with the Office of Public Works, including the protection provisions of the Wildlife Act, 1976, and annual open seasons are applicable under that Act.
It is estimated that visitors coming here on shooting holidays every year contribute over £3 million annually to the Irish economy.
They represent one of the more lucrative segments of the international tourism market and have been identified as a category with further potential for growth. I do, of course, recognise the need for protection and conservation of bird species. I am assured by the Wildlife Service that the situation is closely and regularly monitored by them and that if the Wildlife Service decide that a species is endangered by sporting activity they will use their powers under the 1976 Act to restrict shooting either to certain areas or to remove a species from the open season list altogether.