Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I know my friend and colleague, Senator Ó Domhnaill, will deal with the specific amendment and the Minister's reply. I want to address the wider context of the sustainability of this particular section. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is best placed to deal with these issues rather than the Wildlife Act which has less resources. I am not in any way taking away from the wardens, inspectors and others doing a wonderful job under the Wildlife Act.

The Irish Times article states, "The indiscriminate use of poisons to kill rats or mice has been linked to an alarming decline in some of Ireland's most iconic birds of prey, such as barn owls and kestrels." The birds under threat include the merlin, the peregrine falcon, the long-eared owl, the red kite, the tree-nesting raptor, the common buzzard, the barn owl, the kestrel, the white-tailed eagle, the hen harrier and the golden eagle. That is an astonishing list of birds common to our environment. The article also stated:

Since 2010, the practice of using poisoned meat baits to control farmland pests such as foxes and crows has been outlawed because of the knock-on effects on other species.

However, there are currently no regulations concerning the use of poisons to kill rats or mice. In Britain, there are restrictions against the use of certain rodenticides in outside areas in order to protect other species, and ornithologists want similar regulations adopted here.

Will the Minister clarify whether it is his Department or the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht that enforces the ban on poisoned meat baits? The article continued:

Ireland unfortunately has had a poor record in protecting its native raptor species, arguably the worst in Europe [...]

Since a ban on DDT was implemented, the peregrine population in Ireland, which had dwindled to little more than 60 pairs in the 1970s, has rebounded significantly, and the birds are now no longer a conservation concern.

That proves when proactive initiatives are introduced in this area, there are real gains not just for the protection but also for the enhancement of bird species. It is important the Minister sorts this problem out quickly as we are behind the rest of Europe. It would be a tragedy if we were to lose many of the birds I have mentioned.

The golden eagle became extinct in Ireland in the 20th century and was recently reintroduced into Donegal. One of these birds was recently both poisoned and shot. The long-eared owl, now thought to be more common, is on the wane because of the use of poisons and loss of habitat. The red kite, a tree-nesting raptor, was reintroduced to Ireland in 2007 after 200 years of absence. There were 14 breeding pairs of red kites in Wicklow as of last year but they are under threat again.

We are all singing from the one hymn sheet here. Does the Minister believe he should take this area under his wing - excuse the pun – rather than it being covered by the Wildlife Act? In whatever little turf war is breaking out over this, the Department should assert its rights in this regard. I have no monopoly of wisdom in this area and I want to hear other points of view on this. However, BirdWatch Ireland and John Lusby, who has done extraordinary work in this area, have a real concern and want action to be taken to address the methods of laying down poison. It is not about the banning of poison but ensuring proper methods are in place.

The Minister goes some way in addressing that in this Bill. BirdWatch Ireland is happy about the proposals in section 18 because it believes they go a long way to addressing the void in our legislation. This is not a popular issue and there are no votes in it. It would be a considerable loss to the country, however, if these wonderful birds were lost because we could not get the legislation right or get the right Department to decide on it. Will the Minister be assertive in this regard? Nothing has happened in this area until now. That is why this article appeared. Our neighbours are way ahead of us in this regard. There is a powerful argument for the Minister to say at Cabinet that this section addresses to a large extent the loss of these species and it will protect and enhance the bird population.