Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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476. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the scientific studies used to support the answer to Parliamentary Question No. 682 of 5 May 2021 regarding bird species which require foraging distances from 3km to 15km from forestry projects averaging seven hectares in size; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25383/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Habitats Directive and the transposing legislation SI 477 of 2011 require, inter alia, that an appropriate assessment is undertaken where screening identifies a likelihood of the project having a significant effect on a European site(s). This is true regardless of the separation distance between the project and the European site(s).

A likely zone of impact is used in order to identify those European Sites to be specifically addressed during screening. In making a decision regarding the likelihood of a project having a significant effect on a European Site(s), all European Sites within a certain radius (or ‘likely zone of impact’) should be considered at screening stage, in addition to hydrologically-connected European Sites. For example, in relation to a Special Protection Area, it is important to consider whether the project area lies within the foraging distance of bird species for which that SPA was designated, and many of these foraging distances exceed 3km. After considering a range of inputs including NPWS guidance, feedback from the FAC and advice from the Department's environmental consultants, this was set at 15km for forestry applications which is also the standard generally used for applications in other sectors.

In determining the foraging distance of bird species, the Scottish Natural Heritage publication (2016) Assessing Connectivity with Special Protection Areas (SPAs) Guidance (version 3) was among the reference material used. The purpose of this publication was to help identify the connectivity between development proposals and SPAs. It recommended that, in most cases, the core range should be used when determining whether there is connectivity between the proposal and the qualifying interests.

It identified the core foraging range from nest site during breeding season (for example, 5km for Merlin) and the core foraging range from night roost during winter season for a range of species (for example, 5km for Whooper swan, 5 – 8km for Greenland White fronted goose and 15km for barnacle goose). For Hen harriers Irwin et al., 2012 found that the maximum distance travelled from the nest was 7.5 km (female) and 11.4 km (male).

References

Scottish Natural Heritage (2016) Assessing Connectivity with Special Protection Areas (SPAs) Guidance (version 3).

Irwin, S., Wilson, W., O'Donoghue, B., O'Mahony, B., Kelly, T., O'Halloran, J. (2012). Optimum scenarios for Hen Harrier Conservation in Ireland; Final Report 2012. Prepared for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine by the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork