Public to have their say in reviewing Ireland’s wildlife legislation

The opening of public consultation to review and update wildlife legislation in Ireland has been announced by Minister Malcolm Noonan.

This first phase of the consultation is an online public consultation and will run until Friday 13 September 2024.

Members of the public are invited to contribute their views on the priorities for any new legislation, anomalies that should be addressed, protections that should be strengthened and any other aspect of our wildlife legislation they think should receive close attention during the review.

Comprehensive legislative review

The upcoming review will include Wildlife Act, European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and associated regulations. Consultation is the first step in a wide ranging and comprehensive legislative review.

Launching the consultation, the Department of Housing said the objectives are to update legislation so that it better protects nature, helps prevent biodiversity loss, is fully compliant with EU law and is easier to enforce and comply with.

It is anticipated that two new Wildlife Bills and several new Statutory Instruments will be published arising from this work.

The update of legislation will be completed over several years and will entail several phases of public consultation. The key focus of the initial phase of the legislation update will be on strengthening the enforcement of wildlife crime.

Minister Noonan said: “The laws underpinning the protection of nature in Ireland are a key instrument in the conservation and enhancement of our beautiful and unique natural heritage. By strengthening our laws in this area, we can give nature the best possible chance to recover and flourish.

“It is vital that wildlife legislation is reviewed and updated to ensure that nature is given the best protection possible while also respecting our own place within it.”

He added that this is a chance for us to decide what our priorities should be and where we should go beyond the minimum protections set down under EU law.

“We are all stakeholders when it comes to wildlife legislation. I urge interested members of the public to have their say on how legal protections can be improved and on how we can have legislation that works for everyone and strikes an appropriate balance between the interests of humans and the interest of wildlife," he said,

The public consultation and review will be conducted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Contributions can be made through the public consultation website.