Public consultation on Ireland’s Fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) launched

Public consultation on Ireland’s Fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) launched

Members of the public can submit their views by November 9th

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan T.D. has launched a public consultation for the fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP).

Members of the public are encouraged to submit their views to the consultation at www.gov.ie/biodiversityplan before November 9th. The consultation is run by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), a division of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and follows from a period of engagement with stakeholder groups, including government departments, agencies, businesses, and  representatives of the Biodiversity Forum.

The National Biodiversity Conference, held in June of this year, also forms part of the consultation. At the event, a wide audience engaged in discussions on Ireland’s response to biodiversity loss, conservation and protection.

The draft objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) are to:

  • Adopt a Whole of Government, Whole of Society Approach to Biodiversity
  • Meet Urgent Conservation and Restoration Needs
  • Secure Nature’s Contribution to People
  • Embed Biodiversity at the Heart of Climate Action
  • Enhance the Evidence Base for Action on Biodiversity
  • Strengthen Ireland’s Contribution to International Biodiversity

The draft NBAP sets out a vision for an Ireland in 2050 in which biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored, and sustainably used maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.

The draft plan is informed by an extensive review of national, European, and international policies, strategies, legislation and science. The NBAP will be Ireland’s main mechanism for engagement with ongoing policy developments at regional and global level including opportunities such as a new Global Biodiversity Framework, on the EU Biodiversity Strategy and Nature Restoration Law.  The final version of the Plan will be published in early 2023, to allow the recommendations of the ongoing Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss to be considered.

Minister Malcolm Noonan said:

“We are launching this public consultation against a backdrop of unprecedented challenges for nature in Ireland and globally. How we collectively and collaboratively address these challenges will define not just our ability to halt biodiversity loss, but how we as a species will survive and thrive into the future. 

We have a lot of positives to draw from and inspire us. The Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and the parallel Children and Young People’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss will help to inform us on the way forward, through new ideas, new ways of doing things and new ways of collaborating towards the conservation and restoration of nature in Ireland.” 

Minister Noonan said the Government is readying itself for the NBAP:

“The renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service through my action plan will strengthen our collective ability towards ensuring that the next NBAP is an all-of-government and all-of-society response to this great challenge. The recent 2nd National Biodiversity Conference, which included a stirring address by An Taoiseach, inspired all in attendance towards this great collective action,” he said. 

Minister Noonan urged the public to have their say:

“It’s really important that the next National Biodiversity Action Plan be in itself a living document. Yes, it must be actionable and impactful, but it must also reflect the different voices that will inform its content. I urge members of the public to have their say and engage with this public consultation.” 

The draft Fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan can be found at www.gov.ie/biodiversityplan where members of the public can also make their submission to the public consultation.

ENDS

September 23, 2022

Statement by Minister Noonan on Hunting Licences for Game and Open Seasons Order 2022

Statement by Minister Noonan on Hunting Licences for Game and Open Seasons Order 2022

The Open Season for wild bird hunting will open on 1 September 2022.

Considerable work has been undertaken by NPWS to set out a range of options available for future Open Seasons Order, and a wide ranging consultation with stakeholders and interest groups in relation to future orders will be undertaken over the coming months.  While there is no doubt that this will be a challenging process, I am keen to listen to the views of all of the interested parties.

I would also remind the public that only certain species may be hunted, and only at certain times, as set out below.  The hunting of deer species may only be done with a rifle and still requires a specific Deer Hunting Licence which may be applied for online at npws.ie

The species, and dates between which hunting may take place is in keeping with previous orders.  Based on the information available, the number of species under conservation threat, and our legal obligations under the Birds Directive, changes in the ambit of the 2023/2024 order are very likely. In effect, this will mean the likely removal of certain species from the order.  I do, however, intend consulting with the sector on these changes in advance of their application.

It is known that the conservation status of some of the species that may be hunted in Ireland is declining.  In order to continue to protect and preserve the conservation status of these species, and to support sustainable hunting practices, a new way forward is required.   This must be collaborative, and based on scientific evidence.

HUNTING SEASONS FOR WILD BIRDS & HARES

 

SPECIES

OPEN SEASON
Red Grouse 1 September to 30 September
Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, Snipe, Jack Snipe. 1 September to 31 January
Red-Legged Partridge, Cock Pheasant, Woodcock, Woodpigeon 1 November to 31 January
Canada Geese 

Countrywide

The counties of Cavan (exclusive of the townlands of Eonish Island, Rinn, Deramfield) and Leitrim (exclusive of the River Shannon)

  

1 September to 15 October

16 October to 31 January
Greylag Geese 

Countrywide

Lady’s Island Lake, Co. Wexford and Gearagh East, Gearagh West in Co. Cork only

  

1 September to 15 October

16 October to 31 January
Ruddy Duck 1 September to 31 January
Hares (excluding the following townlands in Co. Wexford: North East Slob, North West Slob, Big Island, Beggerin Island and the Raven). 26 September to 28 February

HUNTING SEASONS FOR DEER SPECIES

SPECIES OPEN SEASON LOCATION
Red Male 1 September to 31 December Throughout the State Excluding Co. Kerry
Red Female & Antlerless Deer * 1 November to 28 February Throughout the State Excluding Co. Kerry
Sika Male 1 September to 31 December Throughout the State
Sika Female & Antlerless Deer * 1 November to 28 February Throughout the State
Fallow Male 1 September to 31 December Throughout the State
Fallow Female & Antlerless Deer * 1 November to 28 February Throughout the State
Muntjac Deer 1 September to 31 August Throughout the State

 

*Antlerless deer will be construed as including any male deer without antlers, of less than one year, i.e. a calf.

August 25, 2022

Ministers announce Ambitious New Strategic Action Plan for the National Parks and Wildlife Service

Ministers announce Ambitious New Strategic Action Plan for the National Parks and Wildlife Service

Plan will see an additional €55 million invested in renewing the NPWS and the early recruitment of 60 key staff

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD have published a Strategic Action Plan for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) following Government approval. The Plan sets out an ambitious timeline for a full organisational restructuring of the NPWS, and a substantial €55m additional investment in the organisation across three budgetary cycles, together with the early recruitment of 60 key staff for critically important roles.

Launching the Strategic Action Plan in Ballykeeffe Nature Reserve in Co. Kilkenny, Minister Noonan said:

“The renewal of the National Parks and Wildlife Service is the keystone action in this Government’s response to the biodiversity emergency and I’m announcing a suite of strategic actions to transform the organisation, which have now been approved at Cabinet. 

“I’m delighted to confirm that the NPWS will be established as an Executive Agency, giving it a strong identity and voice to speak for nature. Its internal structures will be overhauled, delivering a stronger focus on external engagement and delivery of outcomes. New Directorates, organised along functional lines, will benefit from the early recruitment of 60 key staff for critically important roles. 

“I’ve already increased NPWS funding to €47m in 2022 – a total increase of 64% since I became Minister – bringing it back up to a level not seen since before the financial crisis. Today, I’m proud to announce that Government has endorsed future underpinning investment of up to €55m over the coming three budgetary cycles to realise this plan”

This funding commitment will enable the NPWS to embrace Ireland’s ambitions for nature and help us begin to turn the tide on biodiversity loss.”

This Strategic Action Plan aims to deliver an NPWS that is more resilient, better resourced, and better equipped to play its part in Ireland’s response to the biodiversity emergency, on the national and international stage. The Plan will equip the NPWS with the organisational capability and supporting structures to enable it to deliver its mandate in protecting our natural heritage.

Launching the plan, Minister Darragh O’Brien said:

“The NPWS has a proud history, and despite being a relatively small organisation of some four hundred people, carries a complex range of responsibilities, ranging from significant policy and advisory functions, to operational responsibilities in our National Parks, conservation, enforcement, licensing, biodiversity protection and as a statutory consultee on planning. 

It is vital that we have a resilient and effective NPWS to perform all of those functions. I am very pleased that we now have Government approval for this Strategic Action Plan, which will provide the momentum to build on the very significant gains which, working with the Minister of State, I have been able to secure for the organisation in the past two budgets, bringing its funding, for the first time since the financial crisis, back to pre-2008 levels. I am happy too for the dedicated and expert team who have sustained the NPWS through so many years – with the implementation of this Strategic Action Plan, the future of the NPWS looks bright.”

Minister Noonan added:

“I would like to thank the more than three thousand people who contributed to this vitally important review process – members of the public, stakeholders, and NPWS staff themselves. I would especially like to commend the independent authors whose work the Action Plan is designed to implement – Professor Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin and Dr Micheal Ó Cinnéide, who delivered first phase of the Review, and former Secretary General Gerry Kearney, who completed the concluding phases. Our Strategic Action Plan is the considered outcome of their deliberations and of all your input.”

Today’s announcement fulfils an important commitment in the Programme for Government, providing for a significant investment in, and a renewal of, the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This renewal is underpinned by a comprehensive, expert review of the organisation, which has now been completed by independent authors. The Strategic Action Plan is designed to implement and deliver upon the recommendations made by the review, which are as follows:

Governance 

  1. Establish the NPWS as an executive agency within a Government department.
    2. Change the NPWS internal structure, so that it is fit to meet current and future challenges.
    3. Reconfigure the top management team within the restructured NPWS.
    4. Establish permanent standing committees, on a cross-functional basis across the new directorates, to address longstanding, multifaceted, complex matters.

People

  1. Fundamentally overhaul and improve HR capability and practice within NPWS.
    6. Set up an expert group, drawing on international expertise in organisations with a similar remit to the NPWS, to establish the human resourcing requirement of the NPWS on an international, best-practice basis.

Legal

  1. Bring forward legislation to provide updated and stronger, statutory underpinnings for our National Parks and the work of the NPWS in protecting and conserving threatened and endangered animals, plants and habitats in the State.

Communications and ICT

  1. Overhaul and fundamentally transform the way NPWS communicates, both internally and externally.
    9. Put in place a new, renewed and improved programme of Engagement, Awareness and Education by NPWS.
    10. Transform ICT. The CIO Office in the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage has brought forward a four staged process and pathway to transform ICT within NPWS and over the next three years.

Other recommendations

  1. Consider a wider examination of the remits of the broader constellation of State actors with significant responsibilities in relation to Biodiversity and Climate action.
    12. NPWS should engage with other public bodies operating alongside it in the wider sector, to help ensure that each is playing its own part, according to its remit and responsibilities, and fulfilling its statutory responsibilities in relation to the protection of nature and biodiversity.
    13. Recruit  to a number of key  posts in NPWS immediately, additional to the filling of current vacancies, where these are needed to mitigate critical risks to the interests of the State.
    14. Conduct an assessment of the grading of technical and regional posts by reference to comparable posts across the Irish public service.
    15. Establish a new Engagement, Corporate and Specialist supports directorate.

The priority recruitment of 60 staff in key roles including rangers, scientists, general operatives and key managerial, HR specialists commences as a matter of urgency following this Government decision.

The Strategic Action Plan and accompanying documents can be found at:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/fbb81-national-parks-and-wildlife-service-strategic-action-plan-and-review

ENDS

 

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Press Office

Tel: (01) 888 2638 (direct)

Email: [email protected]

Website: gov.ie/housing

Twitter: @DeptHousingIRL

May 4, 2022

Applications for the 2022/2023 Deer Hunting Season now open and mandatory certification training for first time hunters launched

Applications for the 2022/2023 Deer Hunting Season now open and mandatory certification training for first time hunters launched

The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has announced that application forms and guidance notes for the 2022/2023 deer hunting season are now available on the NPWS website at www.npws.ie.

This season will see the introduction of mandatory certification training for first time hunters. The Department through NPWS has been committed to the introduction of this certification training and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, T.D., said:

“I am delighted that we have now introduced mandatory certification training for first time hunters. This is a vital addition to the deer hunting licencing process and I know these training courses will be delivered to a high and professional standard. The addition of this certification will further enhance safety throughout the countryside and ensure first time hunters are provided with essential knowledge in deer stalking.”

Currently there are three courses approved by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage through NPWS. The Deer Alliance Hunter Competence Assessment Programme (HCAP); Country Sports Ireland’s Deer Stalking Training Course and NARGC’s Deer Stalking Certificate and links to the relevant courses can be found on www.npws.ie or through the outlets’ own websites. Further courses may be approved by the Department as they become available.

The Department continues to modernise the deer hunting licencing process with the introduction of mandatory certification training and work is in train on the development of an eLicencing application system.

Despite the challenges of the past two years, the Department strived to ensure all applications were dealt with in a timely manner and last season, for the first time, over 6,000 licences were issued.

ENDS

Notes

Under the Wildlife Acts, annual licences are required to hunt deer during the Open Season, which is the period during which deer can be legally shot. The Open Season for deer operates generally from 1 September in a given year to 28 February the following year, depending on the species and gender of deer. Over 6,000 deer hunting licences were issued last season.

March 23, 2022

Reminder on hedge cutting and the law

Reminder on hedge cutting and the law

The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is reminding the public the cutting, grubbing, burning or other destruction of “vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch” between 1st March and 31st August is prohibited.

The prohibition is contained in section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976*. Suspected breaches are investigated by the NPWS and An Garda Síochána.  The NPWS took 31 section 40 prosecution cases in 2021 and it hopes that fewer will be necessary this year.

In Ireland, our relatively low cover of native woodland makes our hedgerows exceptionally important for biodiversity.  Hedgerows provide botanical diversity as well as food and shelter for animals, most notably birds.  They also act as corridors connecting habitats. Untrimmed, thorny hedges are favoured by birds, but birds may nest in any hedge.

The prohibition outlined above does not apply (unless done by burning) in a number of circumstances set out in the Act.  For businesses, landowners and the general public the most notable of these exemptions are:

  • The destruction, in the ordinary course of agriculture or forestry, of any vegetation growing on or in any hedge or ditch. In the Act, “agriculture” is defined as including horticulture. Since horticulture includes gardening, the summertime trimming of hedges in the ordinary course of gardening falls under this exemption;
  • The clearance of vegetation in the course of road or other construction works or in the development or preparation of sites on which any building or other structure is intended to be provided;
  • The felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation pursuant to section 70 of the Roads Act 1993.

Section 70(2) (a) of the Roads Act 1993 provides that “The owner or occupier of land shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that a tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation on the land is not a hazard or potential hazard to persons using a public road and that it does not obstruct or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road”.  NPWS recommends that such “reasonable steps” are taken between 1 September and 28 February, where possible.

It should also be noted that it is an offence under Section 22 of the Wildlife Act 1976 to wilfully destroy, injure, or mutilate the eggs or nest of a wild bird or to wilfully disturb a wild bird on or near a nest containing eggs or un-flown young birds at any time of the year.

Help protect nature!  If you see what you suspect to be a hedge-cutting offence you can report it to your local NPWS office (see www.npws.ie/contact-us) or your local Garda station. Since enforcement staff might not be able to respond immediately, you should take a note of the date and time, and note any vehicle registration numbers involved. Photographs (especially of vehicle number plates) can also be helpful, but there is no need to send them to the NPWS or the Gardaí when reporting.)

Ends

January 25, 2022

Minister of State for Heritage welcomes dialogue on sustainable hunting of birds of conservation concern

Minister of State for Heritage welcomes dialogue on sustainable hunting of birds of conservation concern

As the Open Seasons Order allowing the hunting of birds begins on September 1st Minister of State for Heritage at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Malcolm Noonan has issued the following statement:

“Biodiversity in Ireland (as it is globally), is coming under pressure from many different sources. Such pressures combined can have a negative impact on many species. Our wild bird populations are particularly susceptible and it is important that we fully understand how our actions and other factors cumulatively can impact on the viability of vulnerable bird species. It is essential to examine the sustainability of many of our practices given the pressure that successive generations have put on our fragile ecosystems. Our birdlife is an essential component of the natural ecosystems that we too are part of.

Therefore, I believe it is necessary for us to look again at how our practices impact on our bird populations.

As outlined in NPWS’s 2019 Article 12 report, the conservation status of a number of species which are permitted to be hunted at certain times of the year under the Open Seasons Order is declining, including Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Woodcock, Shoveler and Snipe. It’s difficult to assess the sustainability of hunting these birds as there are some gaps in the data on population size and trends and we do not have information on the numbers of birds hunted annually.

It’s clear that we need a new way forward – based on scientific evidence, collaboration and strategic action – to ensure the sustainable hunting of birds of conservation concern in Ireland. To this end, I have established a working group in NPWS to determine the next steps and to invite stakeholders to participate in a collaborative dialogue in the coming months to develop a plan for a sustainable future for these species in Ireland. In that, I want to respect fully the views of the various stakeholders and accept that some may be diametrically opposed. Nonetheless, I am keen to find common ground.

The wild bird hunting season opens on September 1st and, like many people, I am deeply concerned at the potentially unsustainable hunting of birds of conservation concern in Ireland. By the time the season comes around next year the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the stakeholders will have concluded a paper for me on the science, the EU position and what can be done in Ireland in the short, medium and long term.”

ENDS

September 2, 2021

NPWS ANNOUNCE GRANTS FOR UP TO €5,000 FOR SMALL RECORDING PROJECTS

NPWS ANNOUNCE GRANTS FOR UP TO €5,000 FOR SMALL RECORDING PROJECTS

The National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have announced the opening of the NPWS Grants for small recording projects 2021. Grants up to a maximum of €5,000 are available to support the recording of all aspects of Irish natural history. This is the 3rd year of the scheme and to date over 20 projects have been supported by grants in 2019 and 2020. These projects include the following:

  • Bat Conservation Ireland, records database support
  • Camolin Wood moth survey
  • Wild Kildare moth recording project
  • Moths Ireland, records database support
  • Lough Grainey Nature Reserve, website development and recording site
  • BSBI Ireland, online aquatic plant training courses
  • Snipe Conservation Ireland, purchase of specialist tracking equipment
  • Wild Derrynane, support for a publication

Full details of the 2021 scheme is available here

The primary aim of these grants is to support and encourage the current network of naturalists recording in Ireland and to develop the next generation of specialist recorders. Grants are aimed at volunteer, unpaid recorders, or groups, societies and associations of recorders who have limited/no access to financial supports for their work.

March 23, 2021

DEER HUNTING LICENCES UPDATE FOR 2021/2022 SEASON

DEER HUNTING LICENCES UPDATE FOR 2021/2022 SEASON

The NPWS have published details of the application process for the 2021/2022 season.

Full details can be found at https://www.npws.ie/licences/hunting/deer-hunting-licences-2021-2022

Points to Note:

  • Application forms and further info on the 2021/22 season will be posted on 15 March 2021.
  • Application packs are not being sent to hunters who held a licence for 2020/2021 at this stage, but this is subject to review.
  • Applicants are not required to submit a signed landowner permission at this time due to current travel restrictions, but must provide all landowner permission details on the app form.
  • Applicants can still provide Coillte permits with their application.
  • Please make an application asap once the forms are available on the 15th March.
  • If you are a New applicant, you must complete the application form and have permission from a landowner(s) to hunt deer on land of at least 100 acres (42 hectares).  However, if you are applying to hunt deer on your own lands, the 100 acre requirement does not apply.

March 5, 2021

CONTROL OF CERTAIN WILD BIRD SPECIES DEADLINE EXTENSION

CONTROL OF CERTAIN WILD BIRD SPECIES DEADLINE EXTENSION

IMPORTANT

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has extended the deadline for members of the public to forward comments/proposals in relation to the control of certain wild bird species.

The new deadline date for comments/proposals to be submitted to the Department is Friday February 19th 2021 at 5pm.

A consultation notice regarding this was published on the NPWS website on 16th December 2020 at the following link: https://www.npws.ie/news/control-certain-wild-bird-species, including details on where to send submissions.

The current declarations, made by the then Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, allowing for the control of certain wild bird species are due to expire on 30 April 2021.

IFA SUBMISSION

To read IFA’s submission to the NPWS, please click here.

 

 

February 3, 2021

LEAD AMMUNITION

LEAD AMMUNITION

PROPOSED RESTRICTIONS ON LEAD AMMUNITION OVER WETLANDS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST FARMERS

IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Committee Chairman Paul O’Brien said he has serious concerns regarding the proposed restrictions on lead ammunition over wetlands.

He said the proposal is disproportionate and discriminatory toward farmers. At no point in the proposal is any consideration given to the farmer, landowner or gun club members who have a legitimate need to use firearms to protect livestock and crops.

“IFA had pointed out to the NPWS on numerous occasions over the last two years the effects the proposed restriction would have on farmers. We are extremely disappointed with Minister Noonan, who had at the first opportunity shown little or no regard for farmers’ concerns, the custodians of the countryside,” he said.

The proposal uses the RAMSAR definition of a wetland, which means over 80% of the country could be classed as a wetland. This will include farmyards and fields where farmers or gun club members will need to use a firearm to protect livestock and crops.

Under the new regulation, simply being in possession or using lead ammunition, a farmer or gun club members will be breaching the regulations and open to prosecution.

Steel gunshots, which are the most likely alternative to be used, are available at a comparable price, but no consideration has been given to the cost of replacement shotguns, which are capable of firing steel shot. Shotguns that have the correct safety requirement or which are proofed to fire steel shot have a replacement cost of over €2,000.

 

September 10, 2020