Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1229. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if a hare conservation status survey is underway in his Department, as required under the Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46071/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1230. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when his Department will publish the 2024-2025 hare conservation status survey, as required under the Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46072/25]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1229 and 1230 together.

Under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive, Member States are required to report to the European Commission on the National Conservation Status of all habitats and species listed in the Annexes of that directive. This reporting cycle is every six years and Ireland has just submitted the fourth assessment to the Commission. As the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is listed in Annex V of the Habitats Directive, Ireland prepared a National Conservation Status assessment for the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus). The third national conservation status report was published in 2019 (www.npws.ie/publications/article-17-reports/article-17-reports-2019) and the fourth will be published in due course, subject to EU review.

A tender for services to conduct the National Hare Survey 2025-2028 was published last week and will report out in 2028.