Category Archives for "Press Releases"

Dec 06

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust attends COP15

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust attends COP15, the most important event for biodiversity in over a decade 06th December 2022   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) will be in Montreal, Canada from Wednesday (7/12) to attend the COP15 meeting, hailed as the biggest meeting for biodiversity in over a decade. COP15 is held under the […]

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Nov 28

PRESS RELEASE: IWT welcomes recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss 28th November 2022   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) warmly welcomes the recommendation from the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss that the constitution should be amended to better protect biodiversity. The IWT had asked in our submission that the rights of nature […]

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Nov 17

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes Oireachtas committee recommendations to reverse biodiversity loss

PRESS RELEASE 17th November 2022 Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes Oireachtas committee recommendations to reverse biodiversity loss The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the report from the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action on Biodiversity published today (17/11/22). The IWT gave a presentation to committee members during the hearings which took place in 2021. We […]

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Nov 08

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes €1.3 billion funding for new forest programme but warns that money alone will not address problems

PRESS RELEASE 08th November 2022 Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes €1.3 billion funding for new forest programme but warns that money alone will not address problems The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the additional funding for forestry schemes announced last week (3/11/22) by Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett. The increased grant and premium […]

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Sep 29

PRESS RELEASE: Continuing failure by Ireland to protect peatlands highlighted by the European Commission

PRESS RELEASE 29th September 2022 Continuing failure by Ireland to protect peatlands highlighted by the European Commission The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is welcoming today additional infringement proceedings by the European Commission against Ireland in order to enforce protections for peatlands. In 1992, by signing up to the EU’s Habitats Directive, Ireland agreed to protect some raised […]

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Sep 20

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust calls for strong new law in submission to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

PRESS RELEASE 20th September 2022 Irish Wildlife Trust calls for strong new law in submission to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has made a submission to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss which calls for a strong new Biodiversity Act that will put the protection and restoration of biodiversity on […]

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Jul 29

PRESS RELEASE: Emissions reductions deal a dreadful failure of leadership

PRESS RELEASE 29th July 2022  Emissions reductions deal a dreadful failure of leadership The deal reached by the government, which fails to meet even the minimum legal requirement of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, has demonstrated a dreadful lack of leadership. The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is particularly disappointed that more was […]

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May 18

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust opposes redesignation of 466 water bodies as ‘highly modified’

PRESS RELEASE 18th May 2022 Irish Wildlife Trust opposes redesignation of 466 water bodies as ‘highly modified’ – the move could leave thousands of kilometres of river permanently degraded and near lifeless The Irish Wildlife Trust has responded to the public consultation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the redesignation of hundreds of water […]

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May 04

Press Release: The Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes report adopted by the European Parliament calling for urgent action on bottom-contacting fishing gear, but questions why majority of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) would not support a ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas

PRESS RELEASE: The Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes report adopted by the European Parliament calling for urgent action on bottom-contacting fishing gear, but questions why majority of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) would not support a ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted an Own Initiative Report […]

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Apr 26

PRESS RELEASE: Peat needs to stay in the ground

PRESS RELEASE 26th April 2022  Peat needs to stay in the ground The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is calling for the government to act to keep all turf in the ground where it belongs. After weeks of acrimony over a proposed ban on the sale of turf (along with wet wood and smoky coal) it […]

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Apr 05

PRESS RELEASE: WildArt 2022

PRESS RELEASE 5th April 2022  Wildart 2022 – Express your Creativity with the Irish Wildlife Trust WildArt Competition   The Irish Wildlife Trust has launched the third edition of their children’s art competition WildArt. The competition will engage children in the wonders of local wildlife through the seasons. Children up to the age of 16 […]

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Mar 25

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes appointment of chair to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

Press Release 25th March 2022 Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes appointment of chair to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss The Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes the appointment of Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin as chair of the forthcoming Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. This is a vitally important process which we hope will engage the people of Ireland […]

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Feb 15

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust calls for investigation into allegations of unlawful disturbance of protected species by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government

PRESS RELEASE 15th February 2022 Irish Wildlife Trust calls for investigation into allegations of unlawful disturbance of protected species by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is calling for a full investigation into the background of a report in the Irish […]

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Jan 20

PRESS RELEASE: Burning in Wicklow Mountains National Park contrary to climate and biodiversity aims

PRESS RELEASE 20th January 2022 Burning in Wicklow Mountains National Park contrary to climate and biodiversity aims   The Irish Wildlife Trust wants to express our opposition to the on-going burning of lands within the Wicklow Mountains National Park. See https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wicklow-Mountains-National-Park/261433833868972 Given the poor state of upland habitats, plus the emissions of smoke, water pollution […]

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Dec 08

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust calls for rewilding to be incentivised as part of €9.8 billion Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

Press Release 8th December 2021 Irish Wildlife Trust calls for rewilding to be incentivised as part of €9.8 billion Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is calling for rewilding to be included in Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan as an option for farmers. Rewilding is a method of restoring natural ecosystems and is […]

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Nov 12

PRESS RELEASE: IWT welcomes acknowledgement of the biodiversity crisis and role of healthy ecosystems, including oceans, in the latest draft COP 26 text

PRESS RELEASE 12th November IWT welcomes acknowledgement of the biodiversity crisis and role of healthy ecosystems, including oceans, in the latest draft COP 26 text   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the prominence of nature in the latest draft of the COP text which appeared in Glasgow today (November 12th). The draft acknowledges in […]

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Oct 28

Press Release: As the government heads to the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, new information shows that unlawful turf-cutting remains widespread on Special Areas of Conservation

Press Release 28th October 2021 As the government heads to the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, new information shows that unlawful turf-cutting remains widespread on Special Areas of Conservation   Data from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and acquired by the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) under Freedom of Information rules, show that […]

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Oct 13

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes restoration of funding to the National Parks and Wildlife Service but much more needs to be done

Press Release 13th October  Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes restoration of funding to the National Parks and Wildlife Service but much more needs to be done   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the announcement in yesterday’s budget that funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has been restored to 2008 levels. This is […]

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Sep 07

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust calls on the Government to back key biodiversity protection measures at the IUCN Congress

Press Release 07th August 2021 Irish Wildlife Trust calls on the Government to back key biodiversity protection measures at the IUCN Congress The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is calling upon the Minister of State for Heritage & Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, on behalf of the Irish government, to use his voting power at the IUCN Congress (currently […]

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Apr 26

PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust calls for full investigation into fire at Killarney National Park and emergency measures to stop the cycle of infernos

Press Release 26th April 2021 Irish Wildlife Trust calls for full investigation into fire at Killarney National Park and emergency measures to stop the cycle of infernos The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is calling for a full investigation into the causes and consequences of the fire which has destroyed swathes of Killarney National Park over […]

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Apr 19

Virtual townhall meetings on MPAs

Over the summer of 2021 we held a series of 9 townhall meetings in major Irish coastal counties. We addressed questions and concerns the public had about marine protected areas and encouraged participants to participate in the public consultation on the report ‘Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network’ available to download here. The government received […]

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Mar 30

PRESS RELEASE: Wildart 2021 – Express your Creativity with the Irish Wildlife Trust WildArt Competition

Press Release 30th March Wildart 2021 – Express your Creativity with the Irish Wildlife Trust WildArt Competition The Irish Wildlife Trust has launched the second edition of their children’s art competition WildArt. The competition will engage children in the wonders of local wildlife (within their lockdown surroundings of course!). Children up to the age of 18 […]

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Mar 15

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust finds that no permits for ‘controlled burning’ were issued in the North, East or South of Ireland in 2020, and only two in the West

Press Release 15th March 2021 Irish Wildlife Trust finds that no permits for ‘controlled burning’ were issued in the North, East or South of Ireland in 2020, and only two in the West The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has received information from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage from Freedom of Information that […]

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Feb 18

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes Oireachtas report on pre-Legislative Scrutiny of General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management (MPDM) Bill

Press Release 18th February 2021 Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes Oireachtas report on pre-Legislative Scrutiny of General Scheme of the Marine Planning and Development Management (MPDM) Bill The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the report on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the MPDM Bill which will provide for development projects in the marine environment, particularly off-shore renewable […]

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Feb 16

Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes independent review of the National Biodiversity Action Plan

Press Release 16th February Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes independent review of the National Biodiversity Action Plan The Irish Wildlife Trust today (16/2/21) welcomes the report of the National Biodiversity Forum which highlights serious weaknesses in the state’s approach to biodiversity protection. The IWT particularly welcomes the recommendation that the next National Biodiversity Action Plan be […]

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