Vol. 495 No. 2
181 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if her attention has been drawn to the considerable reduction in numbers of the yellow-hammer in Britain; if any similar reduction has been noted or recorded here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19805/98]
I am aware of the decline in the yellow-hammer population recorded in the United Kingdom. The most recent information in relation to the yellow-hammer population in Ireland is contained in The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland (Field Work 1988-91), which estimated an Irish population of 200,000 pairs. This publication indicated a significant decline in the range of this species in Ireland, particularly in the western counties.
I have recently been presented with the first annual report of the countryside bird survey which is a co-operative effort by Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, the Heritage Council, the Electricity Supply Board and Bird Watch Ireland in providing baseline data and a continuing monitoring function in relation to our common birds, including the yellow-hammer. This survey is designed to provide information on a year to year basis on population trends, to promote greater understanding of the factors responsible for these trends, to identify appropriate conservation measures if required, and to provide an indicator of the environmental status of the countryside. It is a substantial undertaking which will, I hope, in the years to come, provide an important barometer of the status of many of our important bird populations, including the yellow-hammer.
