My reply to Parliamentary Question No. 465 of 12 July 2016 indicated that while Ireland, like all EU Member States, is bound by the requirements of the Birds Directive, there are circumstances under which member states can derogate from certain provisions of the Birds Directive in cases where there is no other satisfactory solution.
These applications can be made by individuals and public bodies including local authorities. As already indicated in my reply of 12 July 2016 the applicant would be required to demonstrate that a demonstrable risk to public health tied to a specific problem exists. My Department will consider any application for such a licence on a case by case basis having regard to the provisions of the relevant legislation.