John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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417. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to develop a new red grouse species action plan, noting the last plan was developed in 2013 and is now out of date; and to outline the process to be adopted by his Department in consulting on, and developing, new action plans for this or any other bird species. [36863/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Red Grouse Species Action Plan was published in 2013, on foot of the decline in the distribution/range of over 50% identified in the Red Grouse Survey (2006-08). The Plan involved the collaboration of several stakeholders, including the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, and set out the status of the red grouse in Ireland; habitat management options to support grouse across its range; relevant policies and legislation applicable to management of grouse at that time and pressures and threats to the population including from habitat losses and changes; recreation; predation and climate change.

The 2013 Plan had ambitions over the following decade with respect to goals and objectives to support red grouse. Since then, various local grouse projects supported by gun clubs and other stakeholders and wider Agri-environment Schemes (e.g. GLAS and ACRES) have implemented both targeted and more general habitat and predation management measures to support red grouse across a range of peatland habitats (e.g. blanket bog, raised bog, heath). Many of the actions set out in the Plan with respect to management of red grouse habitats are still relevant today.

The 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) was published in January of this year and sets out Ireland’s vision for biodiversity, that by 2050 “Biodiversity in Ireland is valued, conserved, restored and sustainably used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”. The 4th NBAP has an objective to act on the most urgent national conservation and restoration challenges and includes a commitment by the NPWS to publish and implement Species Action or Threat Response Plans for threatened or endangered species that are in unfavourable status or have declining trends.

Article 12 of the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC) requires Member States to report periodically on the status and trends of bird species. The next Article 12 reports are due in July 2025. The Article 12 assessments will be used by the NPWS to help inform its priorities for species and habitats protection and restoration in the years following, including the potential for further Species Action Plans.