EU: Ireland ranks second from bottom in the European Union at protecting the habitats of wild birds, the European Commission announced yesterday.
The corncrake, the chough and the hen harrier are among the species the Commission judges to be "poorly protected".
The Commission announced yesterday that it was taking Ireland to the European Court of Justice for its continuing failure to protect the habitats of wild birds. According to the wild birds directive, the EU's oldest piece of nature conservation law and dating to 1979, Ireland should have designated special protection areas for migratory birds and vulnerable species.
Only France has a smaller network of SPAs, measured as a proportion of its territory, a Commission spokeswoman said. Ireland has designated 3 per cent of its territory, compared to an EU average of 8 per cent.
The Environment Commissioner, Ms Margot Wallstrom said: "Member States have committed themselves to halting the loss of bio-diversity in the EU by 2010. If this objective is to be achieved, they must reinforce their national legislation and upgrade their nature conservation practices."
Around 140 sites in Ireland have been identified by Birdlife International and its member organisation Birdwatch Ireland as being of importance to the conservation of Europe's wild birds. Of these, the Commission complains that the Government has so far failed to designate one-third of them as SPAs and that some of the other sites have been only partially protected.
"A lot of sites have to be increased in size in order to comply with the directive," a Commission official said.
The Commission wants to see areas of the Shannon Callows near Athlone designated because they are a stronghold of the corncrake. The Dingle and Beara peninsulas are important for chough. Areas to protect hen harriers should, the Commission believes, be designated in parts of Clare, north Cork and Limerick.
Similarly there are parts of Cork Harbour and Dublin Bay where the Commission believes designation should be extended so as better to protect migrating geese and ducks.
A Government spokeswoman said the number of SPAs would soon be increased. She said: "There are more than 20 statutory instruments which are due to be finalised shortly. We are making progress."