The Council Directive on the conservation of wildbirds (79/409/EEC) lists the peregrine falcon as an annex 1 species. Annex 1 species under the Directive shall be the subject of special conservation measures concerning their habitat in order to ensure their survival and reproduction in their area of distribution. The peregrine falcon is a protected species in Ireland under the Wildlife Act, 1976.
The population of peregrines in Ireland declined to circa 30 pairs in the early 1970s due largely to the use of pesticides. The Irish population has now recovered to circa 450 pairs (350 in the Republic and 100 in Northern Ireland). However, it is still a species of global conservation concern.