127. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an outline of his Department's current actions and future plans in the area of biodiversity which is within the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48204/26]

The 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan provides the overarching framework for protecting and restoring nature in Ireland. The Plan integrates biodiversity considerations into public decision-making through a statutory ‘Biodiversity Duty’ on public bodies, and is supported by strengthened governance, improved reporting, and a transparent progress tracking system. Public bodies must take biodiversity into account in the performance of their functions and report annually on progress made. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, working with the interdepartmental Biodiversity Working Group, monitor delivery of the Plan, which is underpinned by strong collaboration across government, local authorities, communities and stakeholders.

The NPWS plays a central role in supporting the protection and restoration of Ireland’s biodiversity through evidence-based conservation, habitat management, and policy support. It manages our National Parks and Nature Reserves, enforces wildlife legislation and issues licenses regulating activities that might impact protected species. NPWS-led projects such as Wild Atlantic Nature, LIFE on Machair, and the recently concluded Corncrake LIFE demonstrate the impact of targeted, place-based conservation, working with farmers and communities to restore habitats, improve land management practices, and support species recovery in some of Ireland’s most sensitive landscapes. Building on the success of Corncrake LIFE, and working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Natura Communities for Birds initiative will continue and expands these efforts, supporting long-term, community-led conservation actions to secure sustainable outcomes for priority bird species and their habitats. Initiatives such as the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, operated by the NPWS, enable local authorities to deliver locally focussed biodiversity projects within their communities. The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme supports landowners to actively conserve, restore and enhance habitats and species of conservation importance while contributing to sustainable rural livelihoods.

The NPWS also leads on the drafting of a Nature Restoration Plan for Ireland, currently under public consultation. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation established legally binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems across land and sea, including the goal of restoring at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The Nature Restoration Plan translates the targets of the EU Nature Restoration into a national programme of restoration, setting out how Ireland will restore degraded ecosystems over the coming decades. For further information, see

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/consultations/first-public-consultation-on-irelands-draft-national-nature-restoration-plan/ .