The Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC) came into force in Ireland in 1981. Article 12 of this directive requires Member States to report on the implementation of national...

The basic designation for wildlife is the Natural Heritage Area (NHA). This is an area considered nationally important for the habitats present or that holds species of plants...

Proposed Natural Heritage Areas (pNHA) were published on a non-statutory basis in 1995. They have not since been statutorily proposed or designated. These sites are of...

The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs publishes annual RAPTOR (Recording and Addressing Persecution and Threats to Our Raptors) reports on...

The EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) requires designation of SPAs for: listed rare and vulnerable species; regularly occurring migratory species, such as ducks, geese and waders;...

These are prime wildlife conservation areas in the country, considered to be important on a European as well as Irish level. Most Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are in the...