Priorities & Current Issues

Our Priorities

Our Policy Priorities document Why Birds Count - Policy and Advocacy Priorities for BirdWatch Ireland was launched by Minister John Gormley at our 41st All-Ireland Bird Conservation Conference held in Newtownmountkennedy 4th to 6th April 2008.

To view the Minister's address to the conference, click here. This Policy Priorities document puts our work into a wider context, outlines our priority areas of work and provides a framework for developing specific polices and position statements. As well as advocating and implementing bird conservation policies, this work will also help achieve other objectives including raising awareness, sourcing funding opportunities and the promotion of bird conservation linkage on an all-Ireland and European basis.

Some BirdWatch Ireland Submissions

x Submission to An Bord Pleanála Oral Hearing on Meath-Tyrone 400KV Interconnector - 14th May 2010

Comments presented 14th May 2010

Appendix 1BirdLife Position Statement 2007

Appendix 2 Comments on guidelines commissioned by Eirgrid 2007

BirdWatch Ireland Policy Priorities document 2008

- THIS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE IS BEING UPDATED -

x Sligo Airport runway extention - Submission on Further Information and previous submission - July '09

x Consultation on Cessation of Turf Cutting Scheme - July '09

x Proposed Dublin Port extention into Dublin Bay - July '09

x Threat to Chough SPA in Waterford by roposed golfcourse development
x An Blascaoid Mór development threatens important seabirds- August 2009
x Soccer academy at Turvey lands, Fingal part1 (Main letter)
x Soccer academy at Turvey lands, Fingal part 2 (Annex 1.Fingal Branch)
x National Sustainable Development Plan – Dec. ‘07
x Water Matters Consultation: Water Framework Directive – Dec.’07
x Dublin Bay Vision – Nov ‘07
x Sligo Airport: proposed runway extension into sensitive area – Nov ‘07
x Oriel Windfarm proposal: Offshore windfarm with inadequate EIS - Nov '07
x Heritage Council Forestry Policy - Oct. '07
x Government Department's Statements of Strategy - Sept. & Oct. '07
x Environmental Liability Regulations - Sept. '07
x Skellig Michael Management Plan - Sept. '07

Due to resource constraints, BirdWatch Ireland does not get involved in trying to address all activities or proposals that are potentially damaging to wild birds and their habitat requirements. Our approach is to work at a strategic national policy level. However, where significant concerns about a nationally or internationally significant site or species are involved, BirdWatch Ireland may make a submission. Some examples of submissions can be seen above, and by clicking here to see an extract of our casework database log (note this log is not yet complete). A report on our casework activities from June 2008 to December 2008 is also available by clicking here.

If you feel there is a significant issue you wish to alert us to, please fill in a casework form available here, and submit it to BirdWatch Ireland by mail or through the following email address segan@birdwatchireland.ie

Current Issues

• Save Our Seabirds Campaign - a petition to get better protection for seabirds and the marine environment
  • marine protected areas
  • new legislation that promotes sustainable fisheries
  • better management of our coasts for wildlife and for people

This petition was at the Electric Picnic and so far we have nearly 2000 signatures which will help us in our advocacy activities when we are lobbying government departments. Email us to get an update on the campaign.

• Stop Climate Chaos Action Day is planned for Saturday 13th June 2009 - Your help is needed See information on the event click here - Climate Countdown to Copenhagen
• European, Local and bye-elections take place in June 2009. Find out what candiates will pledge to protect our natural environment - we will be asking them and updating this website accordingly! (see top of page).
• SWAN - workshops to inform the consultation on draft River Basin Management Plans are taking place throughout the country. Click here for more information. The deadline for this consultation is 22nd June 2009. Make your views count!

• Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership is formed - April 2009. BirdWatch Ireland is one of seven elected representatives of the 27 environmental NGOs who now form the fifth pillar of Social Partnership.

• Minister John Gormley's addresses the 41st All-Ireland Bird Conservation Conference April 2008. To view the Minister's speach click here. During his visit to the Conference, the Minister also launched our NEW Policy Priorities document Why Birds Count - Policy and Advocacy Priorities for BirdWatch Ireland.

The Launch of the Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership
An Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister John Gormley welcomed the launch of the Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership. The launch ceremony was held at the Dept. of An Taoiseach on the 29th April. BirdWatch Ireland is one of seven representatives of the Pillar which is composed of 27 environmental NGOs.
Visit www.environmentalpillar.ie for further information, press releases and position statements.

In this picture (left to right) Oisín Coughlan (Friends of the Earth), Charles Stanley Smith (An Taisce), Minister John Gormley, Siobhán Egan (BirdWatch Ireland), Pat Finnegan (Grian) Karin Dubsky (Coastwatch Ireland) and Michael Ewing (Coordinator of the Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership).

The joint Northern Ireland Biodiversity Group and Republic of Ireland Biodiversity Forum meeting November 2008

BirdWatch Ireland continues to be a representative of environmental NGOs on the Biodiversity Forum in 2009.

European Court of Justice rules against Ireland; December 2007

A European Court of Justice ruling found in favour of the European Commission and ruled that the Government had failed to comply with the requirements of EU Directives which should be protecting important bird species and their habitat requirements in Ireland. The ruling is a landmark case for the natural environment in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe - the implications are far reaching.

Ireland needs to designate more Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to ensure the conservation and protection of important birds and their habitats. The case detailed that Ireland failed to take steps to avoid pollution and deterioration of habitats or to fully and correctly transpose requirement for preventing  pollution and deterioration outside SPAs. As well as this, measures to improve the assessment of impacts in relation to aquaculture and management of important habitats and sites feature in the ruling.

We welcome the ruling which represents a significant body of work carried out by BirdWatch Ireland over many years highlighting the need for additional resources and commitment to the protection of Irish wildlife. We hope the ruling results in a significant culture change in the approach to protecting the natural environment and in putting our natural environment at the core of sustainability and decision-making processes. This needs to happen urgently to ensure a truely sustainable future.Our Position Statement is available by clicking here.