Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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231. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has commissioned or funded a survey of the population of wild hares in Ireland since 1 January 2015. [27189/22]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Irish Hare is protected under the Irish Wildlife Acts and is also listed on Annex V of EU Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive). This listing requires member states to manage the species’ sustainably. The Habitats Directive also requires Ireland to make a detailed report every six years on the conservation status of all listed species, including the Irish hare.

Ireland’s most recent report in 2019 included a comprehensive assessment of the range, population status, habitat and threats for the Irish Hare. The report can be downloaded at www.npws.ie/publications/article-17-reports/article-17-reports-2019

The 2019 report notes that the Hare is widespread and common in Ireland with a broad habitat niche; it is found throughout the country from coastal habitats to upland heath and bog. The report does highlight some concerns about the loss of habitat quality due to agricultural intensification and afforestation, but overall the species is considered to be in favourable conservation status.

In addition, the most recent Red Data List for Mammals in Ireland (2019) confirmed that the species is not threatened; it assessed the Irish hare as “Least concern”

 www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/Red%20List%20No.%2012%20Mammals.pdf

The most recent national hare survey took place from November 2018 to February 2019. It was commissioned by the National Parks & Wildlife Service and involved the extensive deployment of trail cameras providing the data equivalent to 106,026 survey hours.

The national population was estimated at 223,000 (111,000–449,000) individual Hares during 2018/19.

The mean density of Irish Hare was estimated at 3.19 Hares/km2 (95% confidence intervals: 1.59–6.43) with highest and very comparable densities in the northwest (3.50 Hares/km2 ) and southwest (3.46 Hares/km2 ) regions and lowest density in the east (2.66 Hares/km2 ). The average estimate was 4.5% lower than the 3.33 Hares/km2 estimated during 2006 and 58% lower than the 7.44 Hares/km2 estimated during 2007. Nevertheless, such was the width of the 95% confidence intervals that the 2018/19 density estimate cannot be said to be significantly lower than the previous survey. The mean density estimate was comparable to the 20 year mean density from all surveys since 2000 of c. 3 Hares/km2 suggesting that, inter-annual fluctuations aside, the population remains stable.

The full report of the 2018/2019 survey can be downloaded here: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM113.pdf