Wildlife

More Information

As the most fundamental part of our national infrastructure, Ireland’s natural heritage could even be seen as a ‘Service Industry’ because it provides so much that is vital to our lives.

• The air we breathe and the quality of that air
• Water for drinking and bathing, and the quality of that water
• Fertile soil and pollinated crops
• Medicines, food and building materials
• Flood control
• Raw materials for several economic sectors such as farming, forestry and fisheries (total value estimated to be worth at least €2.6 billion per annum to the Irish economy)
• The landscape that makes us feel like we’re home

The vast variety of life on Earth — all its species and their habitats — is called biodiversity. With the rapid loss of our biodiversity receiving increasing attention, the EU has set 2010 as the target for halting biodiversity loss. But as this date comes ever closer, it is obvious that we are highly unlikely to meet that target. Recent studies illustrate that awareness of biodiversity and biodiversity loss are at very low levels in Ireland, despite the essential services it provides and its contribution to our quality of life.

Because of the importance of our wildlife heritage, there is clearly a need in Ireland for:

• Stronger and better policies concerning the protection of our natural heritage, and the enforcement of these policies
• A sound and extensive knowledge base to inform our policies and legislation
• Improved communications and public outreach to increase awareness of the impacts of biodiversity loss, and to reduce each individual’s contribution to that loss
• Greater consideration of our natural infrastructure in planning and development
• Increased allocation of resources to the protection of our natural heritage

In this context, and in order to fulfil its role in conserving our natural heritage as defined by the Heritage Act, 1995, the Heritage Council has focused its wildlife work on three areas:

• Provide heritage policy advice as it relates to agriculture and forestry
• Work with government departments, State agencies, non-governmental organisations and heritage professionals on strategically important heritage initiatives
• Promote the collection, management and dissemination of information on Ireland’s natural heritage

Under the Heritage Act, 1995, the Heritage Council is mandated to propose policies and priorities for the identification, protection, preservation and enhancement of the national heritage, including wildlife habitats, flora and fauna. Under the Act, a Standing Committee on Wildlife was established to advise the Council on wildlife matters. The Wildlife Officer provides professional support for the work of the Committee.

Role

The Wildlife Officer undertakes a wide range of activities to support and deliver Council’s work in relation to wildlife.

• Commission research, surveys and analysis on Ireland’s natural heritage
• Support national wildlife research initiatives, surveys of species of conservation concern, and the development of national baselines
• Develop evidence-based policy on issues relating to natural heritage
• Promote existing policy on biological records and the conservation of biodiversity
• Promote the implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan, and the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Collaborate with Heritage and Biodiversity Officers in Local Authorities, particularly in developing and implementing Local Biodiversity Action Plans
• Participate in the Biodiversity Forum, a stakeholder consultation forum, under the auspices of COMHAR, the Sustainable Development Council
• Develop and promote best practice methodologies for our natural heritage

Objectives

• Propose policy on issues affecting the conservation and management of our natural heritage
• Increase and disseminate knowledge of Ireland’s natural heritage to ensure its effective conservation, protection and management
• Develop standardised or best practice methodologies to enable the improved management and conservation of our natural heritage

Policy

The Heritage Council has published a wide range of Policy Papers and Studies which can be found in our publications section.

Committee

Mary Keenan [Chair], Dr Brendan Dunford, Noel Keyes, Sean Regan, Prof. Tom Bolger, Juanita Browne. Kealin Ireland, Ian Lumley

Best Practice

One of the Heritage Council’s priorities is ensuring that best practice standards are developed and applied in the conservation of our national heritage. This is particularly relevant in the area of natural heritage as the sector expands, and with increasing emphasis being placed on ensuring the conservation, protection and enhancement of our natural heritage. For this reason, the Heritage Council has commissioned several publications which will enable those working in the sector to use standardised methodologies.

A Guide to Habitats in Ireland (Fossitt, 2000)

This recently reprinted Heritage Council publication sets out a standard scheme for identifying, describing and classifying wildlife habitats in Ireland. http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/publications/habitats/index.html

Habitat Mapping Methodology

The Heritage Council promotes the undertaking of large-scale habitat mapping in Ireland. A Guide to Habitats in Ireland outlines a standard scheme for describing habitats in Ireland. To build on this publication, the Council commissioned the development of a methodology for applying this standard in large-scale habitat mapping schemes, to ensure standardisation of habitat mapping in Ireland. A draft was prepared in 2003, and has been used in several mapping exercises in the intervening years. The methodology will be reviewed and finalised in the coming months.

Download the Habitat Mapping Methodology.
HabitatSurveyGuidelines 2 Draft April 2005.doc

Heritage Council Panel of Bat Experts

The Heritage Council operates a Buildings at Risk Grants Scheme through which it grant-aids conservation work to buildings of heritage value. To ensure that the architectural work undertaken as part of this scheme address the importance of buildings for bats, the Heritage Council has established a panel of suitably qualified bat surveyors who undertake surveys of buildings, as necessary.  This panel is solely for use by the Heritage Council in works commissioned directly by the council and is not a national standard scheme for bat surveyors.

Future Plans

Priorities for action in the coming months:

• Develop policy on high nature value farming.
• Commission a Biodiversity Foresight Study.
• Finalise the Habitat Mapping Methodology.

Check this website for details as they develop.