Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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314. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which conservation of game and other bird species continue to be protected in order to ensure maximum protection for various games species such as grouse, partridge, woodcock and pheasant as well as such special such as the landrail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56243/23]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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All wild birds that occur naturally in the wild in Ireland are protected under wildlife legislation. This includes the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. My Department is currently undertaking a project to review and update wildlife legislation. This is an extensive review and is a multi-year project. It will examine closely the effectiveness of our legislation in protecting wildlife and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity.

Some of the aforementioned species (i.e. Red Grouse, Woodcock, Grey Partridge, Corncrake) are all red-listed Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland based on recorded declines in breeding populations and/or breeding distribution. The Grey Partridge for example, is wholly dependent on Irish farmed landscapes for its entire life cycle. Changes to these farmed landscapes due to more intensive agricultural practices of recent decades (e.g. frequent ploughing, pesticides), along with other land-use changes (e.g. afforestation) have led to degradation, fragmentation and loss of supporting habitats for these and other ground-nesting birds.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has supported and/or supports a number of relevant projects, in recent decades (please refer to the links provided below for further details). The information collected has been used to inform Ireland’s reporting under the EU Birds Directive on the status of these species as recently as 2019. The link to the updated EU Birds Directive Article 12 reporting page can be found online at the following link: cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/birds_art12 . Projects supported include the following:

• www.corncrakelife.ie/ Corncrake (Traonach) Life
• www.ballydanganbog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Project-Report-2021.pdf
• www.ucc.ie/en/ornithology/projects/woodcock-phd/#hunting-sustainability
• www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/2013_RedGrouse_SAP.pdf
• www.gov.ie/en/service/f5a48-agri-climate-rural-environment-scheme-acres/
• www.gov.ie/en/service/f5a48-agri-climate-rural-environment-scheme-acres/#overview-of-acres-tranche-2