I propose to take Questions Nos. 397 to 399, inclusive, 401 and 408 to 411, inclusive, together.
The existing Wild Bird Declarations were extended by a period of three months to 31 July 2022 to allow for the completion of the review of submissions received as part of the public consultation process, the receipt of legal advice and other internal discussions in relation to species included in the Declarations for the coming year.
I have now signed two new Declarations, one general and one relating to air safety, that reflect Article 9 of the Birds Directive and these will operate from 1 August 2022 to 30 April 2023. These are available on the NPWS website: www.npws.ie/legislation/eu-directives/birds-directive/eu-birds-directive-article-9-derogations.
An individual may apply for a licence under Section 42 of the Wildlife Acts at any time of the year to take appropriate steps to stop serious damage being caused by a protected wild bird or animal. To date in 2022 my Department has received only one application for such a licence to remove a nest from a private residence.
It should be noted that my Department does not own the urban gull population and is not responsible for the management of urban gull populations generally. Gulls are like other wild birds in this country and it is not part of the remit of my Department, nor indeed would it be generally possible, to control their nesting habits and remove them from all private buildings. In the case of gulls on private property, management is a matter for the relevant property owner.
Building on the success of Seabird 2000, my Department is collaborating with counterparts in the UK, including in particular the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), to update the census of all seabirds breeding in Ireland and Britain. A significant amount of fieldwork and preliminary reporting on a nationwide survey of Ireland’s breeding urban gull populations occurred during 2021. National estimates of urban gull populations are not yet finalised, as the analysis is part of this combined initiative that is to be reported on in due course.
On foot of the reply to Questions No. 289, 246 and 290 to 295 of 28 June 2022, a letter has issued to the Deputy, and the receipt of the other correspondence has been acknowledged and a further response will issue in due course.