Biodiversity Week 2024, Be Part of the Plan

During Biodiversity Week 2024 with a theme to Be Part of the Plan, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, has announced that members of the public will soon be able to participate in a public consultation to review and update wildlife legislation. This legislation includes the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, and related Regulations. This legislation covers areas such as the protection of birds, the protection of certain wild animals, and the protection of certain lands, sites and habitats.

This is part of the updates for wildlife legislation marked out in the programme for Government to “review the protection (including enforcement of relevant legislation) of our natural heritage, including hedgerows, native woodland, and wetlands”. It will also cover habitat protection, wildlife protection, requirement for licencing of certain wildlife activity and enforcement of legislation that results in penalties for wildlife crime. This is the largest review of this legislation, and it is important that the public feed into the process.

• Public Consultation is due to open online in mid-June and will run until September 2024
• The review will update legislation to ensure the protection of nature, helps prevent biodiversity loss and is in full compliance with EU law
• The aim is to have updates of legislation passed by the end of 2027
• Please have your say as this will inform the protection of wildlife across Ireland
• Press release here