Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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384. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the Corncrake LIFE Project; his plans to renew the project for a further five-year term given the vital role the project has played in improving the conservation status of the corncrake in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27484/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Corncrake LIFE is a five year (2021-2026) €5.9m project improving the conservation status of one of Ireland’s most iconic farmland bird species.

Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, in collaboration with project partners, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Fota Wildlife Park, Atlantic Technological University and Údarás na Gaeltachta, the project works with farmers, land owners and local communities across counties Galway, Mayo and Donegal. The project is part funded by the EU under the Nature and Biodiversity Stream of the LIFE Programme with the balance of funding provided by my Department and the project partners.

The project is widely renowned as an example of successful LIFE project implementation, having delivered a very significant increase in the national corncrake population within four years of its five year lifecycle.

There are currently 150 farmers and landowners active in the project covering more than 1,600 hectares in conservation and management measures under the results-based scheme. These measures have been incorporated into the national Agri-environmental programmes (ACRES) and together with direct project actions have restored a significant footprint of corncrake habitat.

The most recent survey from the NPWS shows an increase of 35% in the corncrake population in the past five years with a total of 233 calling male corncrakes recorded nationally in 2024. Already this year’s numbers are once again indicating a positive trend. These results are testament to the collaboration between farmers, landowners and the NPWS and the project has become a model for community-focused nature protection.

LIFE Programmes by their nature are time-limited Pilot programmes which explore best practice and ways of contribution to nature protection. Reflecting the success of the Corncrake LIFE project, I am delighted to reaffirm the NPWS commitment in 2024 to continuing the work of the Corncrake LIFE project by its incorporation into the core NPWS programme, ensuring that the significant gains made in the breeding numbers are built on when the LIFE project itself concludes.

To this end, my Department is in discussion with project partners and I expect to see considerable progress in this regard in the very near future.