Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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397. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the protections that exist in legislation, both national and EU, for common cranes, if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27557/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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All naturally occurring birds in Ireland, including the common crane, are protected under both EU and Irish law.

In EU legislation, all naturally occurring wild birds are protected under the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds).

The Directive requires Member States to set down a general system of protection for birds and to prohibit, inter alia, (subject to certain exceptions):

-deliberate killing or capture of wild birds-damage to nests-taking or keeping eggs

-deliberate disturbance of these birds particularly during the period of breeding and rearing, in so far as disturbance would be significant having regard to the objectives of the Directive;

-keeping birds of species the hunting and capture of which is prohibited

- the sale, transport for sale, keeping for sale and the offering for sale of live or dead birds and of any readily recognisable parts or derivatives of such birds.

The Birds Directive is implemented in Ireland under the Wildlife Acts 1976-2000 and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (SI 477/2011).

Various domestic legislation also sets down protections for wild birds, including the common crane.

Section 19 of the Wildlife Act 1976 states that wild birds and their nests and eggs are protected.

Section 22 of the same Act sets down offences, with certain exceptions, in relation to hunting a protected wild bird, injuring a protected wild bird, wilfully taking, removing, destroying, injuring or mutilating the eggs or nest of a protected wild bird, or wilfully disturbing a protected wild bird on or near a nest containing eggs or unflown young.

Additional information on wildlife legislation is available on www.npws.ie/legislation.