Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy mentioned the corncrake. The population of corncrakes in Ireland has been monitored annually since 1993 but it is critically low, with an estimated 83% decline between 1978 and 2018 with only 153 calling males remaining. The breeding range population declined by 86% between 1972 and 2018. Since 2005 the population has remained stable and there are nine special areas of protection which have been designated for the protection of breeding corncrake populations in Ireland with an estimated 70 calling males, approximately 45% of the total national population. There are many positive outcomes and conservation measures we are undertaking for the corncrake. They include the provision of early cover dominated by broadleaved herbaceous species such as the iris or nettle, the suitable corncrake friendly mowing machine with late cutting, a friendly mowing pattern and late cover provision by leaving some field strips unmown until September, maintaining early cover strands through to the season’s end and field operations reduced or removed from late April and general access to meadows kept to a minimum from May to August.

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