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Wildlife Conservation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2021

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Ceisteanna (266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 278, 279, 283, 285, 290, 291)

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

266. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a matter (details supplied) with reference to European Court of Justice case C-247/85, Commission v. Belgium, 1985. [61376/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

267. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) with reference to European Court of Justice case C-247/85, Commission v. Belgium, 1985. [61377/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

268. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service are primarily responsible for ensuring that the State is compliant with the EU Habitats Directive and the EU Birds Directive in particular the Habitats Directive Articles 2 and 16.1.a, .b and .c and the Birds Directive Articles 2 and 9.1.a. [61378/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

269. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) in relation to annual wild birds' derogation declarations. [61379/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

270. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether high density European herring gull colonies have been enabled to proliferate exponentially in urban areas as policy under legal protection administered by his Department and without being subject to management and control in view of the results of the National Survey of Urban Gulls commissioned in May to July 2021 by his Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. [61380/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

271. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether freely proliferating high density European herring gull colonies are impacting negatively and seriously on communities in ways that are egregiously antisocial (details supplied); his views on the supporting evidence held by his Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service on each of these serious concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61381/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

272. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of matters in relation to the birds directive (details supplied). [61382/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

273. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the meaning of adapt the population in Article 1 of the birds directive in the contexts set out in Article 16.1.c of the habitats directive and Article 2 of the birds directive; and if this legal responsibility placed on member states by the European Commission in the directives includes upwards and downwards adaptation of population numbers as appropriate within the law and prevailing circumstances. [61383/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

274. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the meaning of, in the interests of public health and public safety, or for other imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of a social or economic nature, in Article 16.1.c of the habitats directive; and if he is satisfied that his Department is properly meeting its responsibilities in each of these regards in relation to high density urban seagull colonies. [61384/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

278. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) in relation to the results of the National Survey of Urban Gulls commissioned in the period May to June 2021. [61388/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

279. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) in relation to the results of the National Survey of Urban Gulls commissioned in the period May to June 2021. [61389/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

283. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) with reference to the 2021 National Survey of Urban Seagulls commissioned by his Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Seabird 2000 Census Report 2002. [61393/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

285. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether it is now essential to urgently implement recommendation 8 of the report of his predecessor’s consultative committee on urban seagulls of 17 April 2020 in the interests of public health and safety in line with emphatic legal advices provided to him via the committee in August 2020 and February 2021 and thereby to modify and extend the now five-year-old pilot Balbriggan derogation declaration to other impacted towns and communities in order to legally and properly protect the interests of public health and safety as catered for under Article 9.1.a of the 1979 birds directive and Article 16.1.c of the habitats directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61395/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

290. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will address a series on matters in relation to the urban gull population (details supplied). [61400/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Louise O'Reilly

Ceist:

291. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions he plans to take to protect schools, school children, school staff and school property in the areas in which high density colonies are freely proliferating, for example, Balbriggan, Skerries, Howth and Drogheda as shown in the National Survey of Urban Gulls commissioned by his Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in May to June 2021 (details supplied). [61401/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 to 274, inclusive, 278, 279, 283, 285, 290 and 291 together.

As answered in previous Questions on this issue, my officials are continuing to work on assessing the recommendations of the first interim report of the Consultative Committee on urban gulls, which undertook a review of the issues relating to the impact of gulls in urban areas. My officials have begun the process of engaging with a number of bodies in order to move the recommendations forward.

Further to this, my Department undertook a National Gull Survey in 2021, the results of which will also inform ongoing work with stakeholders and communities to address concerns or conflict issues.

In terms of schools, Section 42 of the Wildlife Acts allows applications to be made to apply for a licence to remove nests and eggs from buildings, on a case by case basis, where serious damage has occurred. A licence may also be applied for under Section 22(9)(d) to take the nests or eggs of protected wild birds for other purposes. Applications are investigated by local staff and recommendations made on the most practical method of stopping or controlling the problem. As the Deputy will also be aware, a pilot derogation declaration is in place for a specified area in relation to the taking of nests and eggs, and my Department is considering the implications of extending same.

My Department is reviewing the Wild Birds Declaration wording in particular around the legal aspects of its implementation.

Question No. 267 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 268 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 269 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 270 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 271 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 272 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 273 answered with Question No. 266.
Question No. 274 answered with Question No. 266.
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