Christopher O'Sullivan
Ceist:19. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to provide additional supports in respect of the collection of biodiversity data. [17285/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 22 July 2020
Ceisteanna (19)
Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
As the Minister knows well, we are in the middle of a biodiversity crisis. Globally, 1 million species are threatened with extinction. This is also an issue at home. It is easy to track the demise of iconic species such as the yellowhammer or curlew, which is at the brink of extinction as a breeding species, but there are big gaps in the data on biodiversity. This is best seen by the fact we know the conservation status of only 10% of our species. What are the Minister's plans to provide additional supports for the collection of biodiversity data?
I thank Deputy O'Sullivan who, I know, has a huge interest in this area. The Department is responsible for implementing the Wildlife Acts and the birds and natural habitats regulations, the principal items of legislation underpinning the protection, conservation and restoration of nature and biodiversity in the State. In addition, the Department has responsibility for implementing a range of other EU nature legislation, including the EU regulations on invasive alien species.
The collection of biodiversity and species data is a central part of the scientific work carried out by the National Parks & Wildlife Service, NPWS, in the Department and there is substantial investment annually in surveys, scientific monitoring and data collection. This is achieved directly by NPWS staff work, programmes at national and regional level and via the many contracts issued each year by the science and biodiversity section of the NPWS to NGOs, specialist contractors, experts and academics in the field. The Department also supports a number of postgraduate projects in universities. The results from much of this work are published in the Irish wildlife manual series on the NPWS website. Included in the publications this year alone are works on marine habitats, surveys of squirrels and pine martens, breeding waders and coastal grasslands, and a European checklist of mosses and ferns. The NPWS, working with national experts, the contractor hosting the National Biodiversity Data Centre for the Heritage Council and colleagues in Northern Ireland, produces regional red lists for the island of Ireland, which catalogue species under threat.
In the course of its annual programme of work, the NPWS provides funding and other support towards gathering of biodiversity data. This includes, for example, research on impacts of climate change on biodiversity and the intrinsic links between these, a small grants scheme for specialist biodiversity recorders and biodiversity grants for local authorities, some of which are used to support locally-led biodiversity data collection.
In addition to work carried out directly by, or on contract for, the NPWS, the Department funds the Heritage Council, which operates the National Biodiversity Data Centre. The centre collates and disseminates biological data on a national level. Most biological data collected by the Department and many relevant State agencies that have a role in data collection is sent to the centre.
I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply and I appreciate that he gave an overview of the work of the NPWS. I am glad he referred to the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford. The centre plays a key role in data collection but needs to be financed on a long-term basis and not by means of the ad hoc, year-to-year funding model that obtains at present. It has incredible expertise. It is usually involved in citizen science and is very good at getting people involved. For example, the national butterfly and bumblebee survey conducted recently was a huge success. Centres such as this need long-term investment and not to be funded on an ad hoc basis.
The Minister of State mentioned the NGOs. These include BirdWatch Ireland, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and the Irish Wildlife Trust. The data they collect on a voluntary basis is absolutely fantastic but they are stretching themselves very thinly. Will the Minister of State elaborate on the supports the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the NGOs may be able to avail of? The work of both is vital in the context of biodiversity data collection?
I could not agree more. I would not suggest that the data centre is funded on an ad hoc basis because the work is contracted out. It is a separate piece of work and there is a commitment in the programme for Government to ensure support for biodiversity recording and the essential citizen science work the Deputy spoke about, which is so valuable on a community basis. I know it is work the Deputy is involved in. It is work I have done with regard to invasive species management and the recording of species. I see it as vital. This is why we have a strong commitment in the programme for Government for biodiversity and to work with NGOs such as BirdWatch Ireland and all of the various conservation groups to ensure we have a comprehensive set of data. If we do not have the data we cannot protect and conserve, so it is vital.
I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate his commentary. The NPWS needs to be properly resourced and I would like to see a review of its functions and roles. This needs to happen because it needs to have a bit more clout. An issue about which I have spoken to the Minister, on a personal basis and in the Dáil, is the need for a specific wildlife crime investigation unit as a dedicated section in An Garda Síochána. This needs to happen. Recently, I spoke about the massacre of 23 common buzzards in my constituency of Cork South-West.
It was needless. No prosecutions have been brought so far, and I understand we are getting no closer to bringing any. Now more than ever we need a dedicated wildlife crime investigation unit because all of the fantastic work and citizen science we are doing, as well as the recreation of biodiversity, is worth nothing unless we can stamp out wildlife crimes.
I agree with everything Deputy O'Sullivan has said. In regard to the NPWS, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to a comprehensive review of the role, function and resourcing of the NPWS. The Deputy is correct in saying that there is a resourcing issue, and that is important. In the short time I have been in this office, I have seen some amazing work done by our staff and rangers throughout the country and I am immensely proud of that. The body is under-resourced.
We will explore the possibility of a wildlife crime unit. There has been quite an amount of discussion about that, and I will meet with BirdWatch Ireland and a number of other NGOs over the next number of weeks to try to advance that proposal. We are very fortunate to have in our NPWS a great team of people. I thank the Deputy for the great work he does in a personal capacity. It is fantastic to have that synergy in the Dáil and that we are focusing on biodiversity at this critical time.