Written answers

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Wildlife Regulations

Photo of Patricia RyanPatricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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499. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the extent to which the population of pine martens is controlled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63727/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The pine marten has lived in Ireland for thousands of years. However, following decades of persecution and habitat loss, the pine marten was almost extinct by the 1960s. The protection of the pine marten under the Wildlife Acts and then the EU’s Habitats Directive, together with the banning of strychnine and the expansion of forest habitat, has allowed the species to recover. The pine marten has slowly expanded its range and is now present again in every county in Ireland, albeit at very low densities.

A national assessment of population density and abundance was undertaken in 2016. The full report can be accessed on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the following link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM97.pdf. The study examined pine marten densities in a wide range of randomly selected forest sites across the country. A mean density estimate of less than one pine marten per square km of forest habitat was calculated. Similar densities are seen in other parts of Europe and are not unusual for small predators such as martens. Combining this density estimate with data on the distribution and area of forest habitat occupied by the species in Ireland, the total population abundance of pine marten in Ireland was estimated at just over 3,000 individuals.

This population estimate confirms that pine marten are amongst the rarest of all mammalian species in Ireland and require careful conservation management to sustain the population and to meet international obligations for protection.

On private property, landowners may apply to my Department for permission under section 42 of the Wildlife Acts to control protected species. This facility allows a person to apply for a permit to prevent serious damage caused by pine marten at specific locations. Applications are investigated by local staff to determine if serious damage is being caused and if so, the most practical method of stopping or controlling the problem. These licences are typically issued to allow pine martens to be removed from people’s attics under supervision from NPWS’s conservation rangers. One such licence was issued in 2022.

Licences may be issued under Section 23 of the Wildlife Act (as amended), to capture or humanely kill a protected wild animal and 11 such licences were issued for pine marten in 2022. The majority of these relate to conservation projections for important ground nesting birds such as Curlew, Tern, Corncrake and Grey Partridge. In all cases, licences are only granted if the licence will result in no significant adverse impact on the conservation status of the species concerned.

Finally, it is worth noting that the NPWS of my Department has worked with the Vincent Wildlife Trust to establish a website www.pinemarten.ie, which provides practical advice and accurate information with regard to the pine marten in Ireland.

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