Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Coghlan for raising what is an important matter to those of us in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

As a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ireland published a national biodiversity plan in 2002 containing 91 actions aimed at securing the conservation, sustainable use and enhancement of biodiversity in Ireland. A key concept of the plan is that we all share responsibility for biodiversity, that it crosses into a number of Departments and that it needs cross-Border co-operation. I am happy to tell the House that an interim review of its implementation was carried out in 2005 and demonstrated that excellent progress had been made.

In January this year, my Department launched a public awareness campaign on biodiversity, entitled Notice Nature, to raise awareness of biodiversity issues among the general public and within the agriculture, tourism and construction sectors. It will promote action for the conservation of biodiversity. The campaign is also accompanied by a dedicated website, www.noticenature.ie, which gives information on biodiversity, the legislation, the policy governing biodiversity and, more importantly, the actions individuals and organisations can take that can assist in conserving biodiversity.

The national biodiversity plan specifically recognised the need for action to protect species of particular conservation concern. Four all-Ireland species action plans were published jointly with the Northern Ireland authorities in November 2005. Three more all-Ireland draft species action plans are in the process of interdepartmental consultation and these will be published during the course of 2007. Further plans are being prepared to cover other species such as the Kerry slug. It is intended that these also will be published in 2007.

The Irish hare action plan, for instance, identified the need for baseline data on the hare. The Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service is in the second year of a national survey with the final report due in July 2007. This will include a full assessment of the conservation status of both the Irish hare and the brown hare in Ireland.

My Department has also established a national bat monitoring programme, if Senators will forgive the pun. Five of the bat species found in Ireland are now covered under this annual programme. Additional surveys planned for 2007 will bring in the remaining species.

This work, along with additional proposals regarding marine species, will ensure Ireland meets the concerns raised in the ruling of the European Court in January of this year. My Department is committed to this area.