The National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is working to review and update wildlife legislation.

This includes the:

• Wildlife Act 1976
• Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000
• European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011
• 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 an extensive review and is a multi-year project, and will be carried out in a number of phases. It will examine the effectiveness of the legislation in protecting wildlife, preventing biodiversity loss, and regulating activities that adversely impact on wildlife and biodiversity. In doing so, it is seeking to strike an appropriate balance between the needs of humans and the needs of wildlife. It is also seeking to ensure compliance with Ireland’s obligations under the EU Birds Directive, the EU Natural Habitats Directive and other relevant directives and international conventions.

The purpose of updating the legislation is to ensure that it works better for wildlife, for biodiversity, for the public, and for those who operate and interact with it. The key focus of the initial phase of the legislation update will be on strengthening the enforcement of wildlife crime and on addressing any legislative anomalies. The project will run for a number of years, and it is anticipated that two new Wildlife Bills and several new Statutory Instruments will be published arising from this work.

The department recognises the importance of consultation and wishes to make the process of revising wildlife legislation as open and transparent as possible by allowing participation from members of the public and interested stakeholders.

Members of the public and all stakeholders are now being invited to make submissions on the wildlife legislation review and update. The inputs received will be used to inform and shape the development of Ireland’s wildlife legislation.

This is the first phase of public consultation. In this phase, views on the overall project are being invited. As proposals emerge, further phases of public consultation will be held.

For full details, go to https://www.gov.ie/en/consultation/01388-publicconsultation-on-review-and-update-of-wildlife-legislation/

How to get involved

The department invites members of the public, groups and organisations to make submissions on the review and update of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 and related Statutory Instruments.

Links to information on what these main pieces of wildlife legislation provide in law is available in the guidance document.

Submissions will not be accepted if they are anonymous or where they do not include a contact name, address, and phone number.

Please note that all submissions received will be published on the department’s website. Any personal and identifying information will be redacted prior to publication on the website.

Please review section 5 and the privacy statement below before making a submission.

If you wish to make a submission, there are two ways to get involved:

• send any comments by email to: wildlifelegislationreview@npws.gov.ie
• send comments by post to:
• Wildlife Legislation Review, Legislation and Guidance Unit, 2nd Floor, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, 90 North King Street, Dublin 7, D07 N7CV.

The closing date for submissions is Friday, 13 September 2024 .

If at any time you wish to withdraw your submission please contact wildlifelegislationreview@npws.gov.ie