Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he intends to take to halt the decline in Ireland's biodiversity by the 2010 target date; and if he intends to initiate new approaches to environmental management. [22489/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is undertaking an extensive programme of work aimed at meeting the target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

Ireland's strategy for conserving and, where possible, enhancing our biodiversity is set out in the National Biodiversity Plan 2002-2006. An important feature of the Plan is the shared responsibility across all sectors, including Government Departments, State Agencies and the Local Authorities, for the implementation of Plan. An Inter-Departmental Steering Group is in place to oversee its implementation and an interim review in 2005 demonstrated significant progress.

At the launch of the Interim Review in November last, I announced 13 additional initiatives to support the ongoing implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan and, of course, Ireland's efforts to meet the 2010 target. These 13 initiatives were as follows:

∙the establishment in my Department of a dedicated Biodiversity Unit;

∙the establishment of a Biodiversity Fund of €1m, spread over the two year period 2006-2007. This fund provides grants to capital projects aimed at conserving and enhancing Ireland's biodiversity (over 100 applications were received for the 2006 round of grants, with 38 projects already approved for funding);

∙the establishment of a Biodiversity Forum, which has already met and will provide independent monitoring of implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan and assist in the drafting of future national strategies on biodiversity;

∙the establishment of a Biological Records Centre, which will be an essential mechanism and resource for documentation, monitoring and research in the area of Biodiversity;

∙the completion, by the National Platform on Biological Research, of a Biodiversity Knowledge Programme for Ireland (this has now been finalised and published);

∙the commissioning of specific research on the quantification of the economic and social benefits of biodiversity to society as a whole (a tender for this research is currently being prepared by my Department);

∙preparation, and a move now to the implementation phase, of all-island Species Action Plans for the Irish Hare, the Pollan, the Corncrake and the Irish Lady's Tresses Orchid, as well as of an all-island study on Invasive Alien Species;

∙drafting of a Biodiversity Undertaking which I have asked all Government Departments to publish and implement. The Undertaking addresses the proactive and biodiversity-friendly management of buildings and lands;

∙issue of Guidelines by my Department for the production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans to all Local Authorities (a follow-up Seminar on the production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans will take place in July);

∙funding by my Department of a dedicated public awareness programme on biodiversity and its importance to human well-being (a tender for the contract is being prepared by my Department at present and the Biodiversity Forum will also have a role in this campaign);

∙successful promotion by me within the EU Council of Environment Ministers to have the Malahide Message, which was elaborated under Ireland's EU Presidency, strongly integrated into the Review of the EC's Biodiversity Strategy (the EU has recently issued a Communication and an associated Action Plan on meeting the 2010 target, which has particular regard to the Malahide Message);

∙conversion to biofuels of the 160-strong fleet of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department within a two-year period.

As outlined above, significant progress is being made in creating a framework to enable us to meet the 2010 target to halt the loss of biodiversity.

With regard to the initiation of new approaches to environmental management, under the EU Habitat and Birds Directives my Department has identified 420 candidate Special Areas of Conservation and 128 Special Protection Areas for Birds, covering some 11.5 % of the landmass of the State. My Department is currently working with landowners and other stakeholders to prepare Management Plans for each SAC and SPA to protect the integrity of these important sites, based on best practice approaches to environmental management. To date, 34 such Plans have completed the consultation phase and are now being implemented.