Dr. Anita Donaghy:

It is too early to say. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has implemented the curlew conservation programme, which has a network of staff throughout the country in key hotspots and for which Ireland has implemented several projects. We work with other partners through the curlew European innovation partnership, EIP, which is a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine project. I am part of an INTERREG project in the north west of Ireland where curlews are the focus of some of our work on key sites.

To be honest, the problems facing the curlew are so massive and widespread, and so much needs to be done at different levels, it is too early for us to say whether we are making sufficient progress. There are some small wins at some sites and as we implement conservation actions on the ground we are learning things about how to protect them. The numbers are very small with fewer than 150 pairs, and even the genetic diversity of the population means it is a massive challenge to turn it around. There is an enormous way to go before it will be out of trouble.

The Senator also asked who is best placed to give to give the advice to farmers. It is ecologists. We have worked with Teagasc advisers on some of the results-based programmes and we are trying to implement some relatively simple ways in which agriculture advisers can be trained up to deliver advice but really we need ecologists and people who understand the birds. Obviously the farmer understands the land and is very well placed to assist and deliver actions. Working with the farmers is very important. People who understand the birds and their requirements are really what is needed. We need a network of specialised ecologists working with the Department and the farmers. We saw this on the Burren scheme. This is what needs to be replicated in the hotspots throughout the country.