Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I am raising the issue of rodenticide poisoning of raptors, particularly barn owls. Our bird populations are collapsing due to habitat loss but also as a result of deliberate and accidental poisoning. There is no need to tell the Minister of State that our native birds of prey are key indicator species of the health of our ecosystems and they are a critical part of our natural heritage.

The recording and addressing persecution and threats to our raptors, RAPTOR, protocol, which was introduced in 2011, was welcome. It set in place a formal procedure for investigations of bird of prey deaths and it has allowed us to build up a database of information on the causes of death of raptors through the collection and handling of carcases and evidence, toxicological testing, post mortems and X-rays. The most recently available report I could find is from 2019. What is very worrying about that report is that it shows the highest number of deaths of birds of prey. Rodenticide poisons were the most prevalent poisons found in birds of prey. The RAPTOR protocol 2019 report clearly states that the protocol includes the monitoring of incidents of poisoning in species vulnerable to secondary poisoning by rodenticides. There is particular concern about the barn owl, the kestrel, the buzzard, the red kite and the long-eared owl.

The reason I raise this today is that those who are involved in wildlife rehabilitation and the Barn Owl Project are concerned that testing for secondary poisoning is not happening or is not happening at a consistent rate. In Britain, where monitoring for secondary poisoning is taking place, it has been found that 88% of barn owls are likely to have been affected by rodenticide poisoning. Ireland has a much higher rate of use of rodenticide so if it is 88% in our nearest neighbour, it is more than likely much higher in Ireland. Can the Minister of State confirm that the RAPTOR protocol is being fully implemented in terms of testing for secondary poisoning? Could he consult with his colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the broader issue of the use of rodenticides?

We have dealt with this general issue previously. I have spoken in the House about metaldehyde in slug pellets.The real issue is that members of the public can get their hands on very dangerous chemicals. I do not doubt for a second people are doing this deliberately. In the vast majority of cases, people put out poison to kill slugs because they love their garden plants or to reduce the number of rodents about the place. However, these poisons have serious implications for wildlife. Can the Government arrange a public awareness campaign about the damage that can be done by using these poisons? For example, one cannot buy a box of cigarettes without an image on the box that shows the damage that cigarettes do to one's health. When people walk into a hardware store, we need them to know full well the possible implications of using these chemicals and offer alternatives. We know that barn owls can eat up to 1,000 rodents a year, so it would be far better for farmers to have one on their land than use rodenticide. Of course, there are inconsistencies in terms of the use of rodenticide and farmers' obligations under the Common Agricultural Policy. I look forward to hearing the response of the Minister of State.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for her Commencement matter. It is always good to talk about biodiversity in the Seanad even if it is a negative issue. It is important to highlight important points, particularly the poisoning of raptors. I take on board the specific points she made about testing and a public awareness campaign, which I will address in a follow-up response.

Ireland is home to more than 14 species of breeding raptors. Some species are largely resident, for example, the kestrel and the barn owl, with others visiting Ireland largely in winter, such as the snowy owl, or on passage in early spring and late summer, such as the hobby or osprey.

Various natural, environmental and anthropogenic factors lead to mortality incidents within the populations of Ireland's raptor species and can affect their conservation status. These include: sub-optimal prey availability and habitat suitability that is compounded by prolonged periods of inclement weather; collisions with traffic on road and rail networks, wind turbines, etc.; disease, including avian influenza; persecution via direct shooting or deliberate poisoning; and environmental pollution, for example, by their feeding on dead or moribund rodents that have ingested rodenticide, which is the issue being discussed here today. This particular factor can lead to what is known as secondary poisoning as the bird does not feed on the poison itself directly.

Since 2011, my staff have worked collaboratively with the regional veterinary laboratory service of the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, and the State Laboratory, to determine the cause of death of raptor carcasses that have been recovered from around the country under the RAPTOR protocol, which is the Recording and Addressing Persecution and Threats to Our Raptors protocol. The protocol already includes testing for secondary poisoning in raptors.

As part of the protocol, liver and stomach samples are routinely taken from each viable carcass. The samples are subjected to a range of toxicological testing to identify and quantify, where possible, the concentrations of particular analytes or components in the samples. These analyses allow for the detection of substances that are used to deliberately target raptors and also substances that may be prevalent in the wider countryside such as second generation anticoagulant rodenticides, SGARs, that are used to control rodents. As the Senator mentioned, rodents constitute part of the diet of many raptor species such as barn owl. The suite of substances that are routinely tested for include those used to deliberately target raptors such as carbofuran, alphachloralose, methiocarb as well as a whole suite of SGARs, which are rodenticides, including brodifacoum, flucomafen and difenacoum. It should be noted that raptors are the most effective way to control rodents. The Senator rightly said that many farmers are now seeing the benefit of having barn owls on their farms in terms of bringing a balance both to nature and habitats.

With relevant stakeholders, my staff are looking at the breadth of potential testing concerning the current monitoring of contaminants in raptors. Furthermore, my staff are working to update the existing service level agreement with the State Laboratory and the regional veterinary laboratory service. This will allow the current RAPTOR protocol to continue to operate, and allows us to effectively detect and monitor a range of environmental contaminants, including rodenticides, which are prevalent in the organs and tissues of these top predators. It is vital to have this information not just for national purposes, so that we understand the impact of such poisoning on our raptor populations, but also in the European-wide context, with the aim of reducing chemical risks to raptors, to the wider environment and to human health. Reports on the protocol are prepared annually and made available on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I welcome the confirmation that the protocol will continue and that the service level agreement is being updated. I ask him to confirm a timeline for the completion of that process. I ask him to confirm also whether testing will be expanded so that we can have a complete picture of the current state of the raptor population and thus address the issue of poisoning. I ask him to touch on my idea of the Government arranging a public awareness campaign that informs people who may be unaware of the damage that is done to wildlife due to people having access to these very dangerous chemicals.

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Senator's idea to have a public awareness campaign is a good one. I must advise that any such campaign would need to be led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Senator mentioned that these toxins are available on the shelves of garden centres and other stores. Another issue is the storage of carbofuran and other toxins that have been banned because they may still be available on farms. Perhaps a call for people to deposit these products at a secure facility would be a really useful way to address the amount of toxins that are out there. We will raise the issue of a public awareness campaign with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and I will get back to the Senator about a timeline for the service level agreement.

Finally, I reiterate that it is illegal to persecute or poison a raptor either directly or indirectly. My Department takes wildlife crime very seriously and in a number of instances there has been a successful outcome to cases that were brought to court over the direct poisoning of raptors. We take the issue very seriously and I welcome the fact the Senator raised this issue today.