The National Parks and Wildlife service (NPWS) staff of my Department are working across all regions of the country to address wildlife crime and enforcement. To assist state bodies in meeting their obligation to respect the strict protection given by EU law of protected species, the NPWS publishes a series of guidance documents dealing with the practical aspects of nature conservation.
A guidance document for public authorities, entitled Strict Protection of Animal Species, is also available on the NPWS website. This guidance is intended to assist in the application of Article 12 and Article 16 of the Habitats Directive to ensure that works are compliant with these articles.
It is normal process that suspected breaches of the law are investigated. Consideration must be and is given to a range of issues, including whether it is considered that the evidence of a crime is sufficient before a decision is taken whether or not to proceed with seeking a prosecution. In addition to the case referenced in the response to the previous question on 27 September 2022, one other case was considered but did not go ahead as my Department did not have sufficient evidence for a prosecution.
My officials are happy to work with public authorities in order to assist them in continuing to meet their obligations.
