Dáil Calls for biodiversity loss in Ireland to be examined by the Citizen’s Assembly

BirdWatch Ireland, The Irish Wildlife Trust and An Taisce warmly welcome the amendment passed in Dáil Éireann tonight for the issue of biodiversity loss to be examined by the Citizen’s Assembly. This move recognises the ecological crisis we are in. We call on the government to initiate the process to start the discussions at the Citizen’s Assembly immediately as we have no time to lose.

Fianna Fáil’s amendment declaring a climate and a biodiversity emergency strengthened a Fine Gael motion ‘noting’ the report on Climate Action of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action.  The accepted amendment also called ‘for the Citizen’s Assembly to examine how the State can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss’ putting the reality of declines in wildlife species and habitats in Ireland centre stage.

Two thirds of Ireland’s 202 wild bird species are of conservation concern with several bird species threatened with extinction such as the Curlew and Hen Harrier. One third of Ireland’s wild bees are threatened with extinction. Ninety one percent of globally important habitats here are in unfavourable ecological condition. Waterbirds have declined by forty percent in less than twenty years.

Biodiversity loss and climate change must be tackled together. Habitat restoration can help with climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as help restore populations of threatened wildlife.

Oonagh Duggan, Assistant Head of Policy and Advocacy said “It is high time for biodiversity loss in Ireland to be centre stage. Nature has been undergoing death by a thousand cuts and we must call a halt to the loss now.”

She said, “We call on the Government to initiate this process as soon as possible. We have no time to lose”.

Oonagh Duggan, Assistant Head of Policy and Advocacy, BirdWatch Ireland- oduggan@birdwatchireland.ie

Pádraic Fogarty, Campaigns Officer, Irish Wildlife Trust-  irishwildlife@iwt.ie