Updated October 2007

Designation	Acronym	No	Area (ha)	% of National Territory*	Level of Legal Protection
National Park		6	61,134	0.9	* * * *
Nature Reserve		78	18,889	0.3	* * * *
Refuge for Fauna		7	428	0.01	* * * *
Special Area for Conservation	SAC	424#	1,349,945	19.3	* * *
Special Protection Area	SPA	135	292,728	4.2	* * *
National Heritage Area	NHA	>1287	923,563	13.2	* *##
Ramsar Site		45	66,994	0.96	* * *
UNESCO Biosphere Site		2	11,137	0.16	* * *
Special Amenity Area Order	SAAO	3	n/a		*
Rural Environment Protection Scheme	REPS	~60,000	***	n/a	none

* Many of these designated sites are coincident and the areas given are not therefore cumulative. Some sites are marine and many contain a large marine element so the figure for "% National Territory" may be exaggerated. Data mainly from NPWS 09/2006.

# A total of 431 canditate SACs (ie transmitted to the EU but not ratified by them) Nov'03

## Designation under the Wildlife Act 2000 began in 2002 and 7 are at the proposal stage.
As of April 2006 the total NHA is 802 which are not SPA/SAC, covering 113,000ha

*** Was ~1.5 million ha (21% of the national territory) with 45,000 participants under REPS I 94-2000; then numbers fell under REPS II - Teagasc 2002
A REPS III program with substantial increases in payments became operational in 2004. REPS III participants are quoted at 60,000 - 04/2006
A REPS IV program will operate from 2007 - 2013.

Designated Areas National Parks, Statutory Nature Reserves & Refuges for Fauna offer the highest level of protection - nature conservation is given priority. These are core areas for protection, mainly state owned. National Parks: Entirely State owned areas designated nationally with the aims of nature conservation, public recreation and appreciation. Nature Reserves: State owned land, inland waters or foreshore areas forming the habitat of a species or community of flora or fauna of scientific interest or forming part of an ecosystem of scientific interest, established under the Wildlife Act, 1976 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000. Nature Reserves include North Bull Island, Baldoyle Estuary, Knocksink Wood and Pollardstown Fen. Refuges for Fauna: Areas where the specific protection of one or more species of animal is required, established under the Wildlife Act, 1976 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000. They include Rockabill and Lady's Island. Their extent at 1.16% of the terestial area is small by international standards. Ireland is bottom of the list of the OECD countries in nature conservation; the OECD average is 12%. We are falling steadily behind the next worst achiever Turkey that now protects 3.2%. http://www.unep.org/ SACs, SPAs, NHAs: National (NHA) & EU (SAC & SPA) designations on public & private land provide secondary protection. SACs & SPAs have stronger legal protection than NHAs. SACs: conservation of plants, animals & wildlife habitats of EU importance designated internationally under the Habitats Directive. SPAs: areas of conservation value for rare & threatened European bird species designated internationally under the Birds Directive. Maps of the SPAs & SACs in Dublin Bay SPA/SACs in eastern Ireland & Wales http://mapture.ucc.ie/ NHAs: conservation of geological sites, plants, animals & wildlife habitats of Irish importance. Designated nationally under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000. To date 7 areas which will also be SPAs are proposed. Many more SACs than the current 424 sites could be designated and a shadow list of 630 sites have been proposed to the EU by the major environmental NGOs. EU led designation is responsible for most of our environmental protection. "While the SPA networks cater largely for waterbirds and Corncrakes, they comprise relatively few areas used by terrestrial birds particularly farmland and upland breeding species" (Natura 2000). A glance at the map below will confirm that they are mainly on lakes, estuarys, etc, ie uneconomic "land". Recent controversy over the designation of SPAs and SACs with particular reference to Hen Harriers Wildfowl Sanctuaries: Areas over which shooting of wild birds is prohibited, established under the Wildlife Act, 1976 and the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000. These areas have been excluded from the "Open Season Order" so that game birds are left undisturbed to rest and feed. No of sites = 68, Area = n/a Ramsar Sites: intergovernmental treaty for the conservation & wise use of internationally important wetlands, the so-called Ramsar Convention. Irish Ramsar Sites UNESCO Biosphere Sites: Sites of conservation value internationally designated with the aim of integrating the interests of nature conservation, sustainable development, research and education. Recognised by UNESCO but nominated by national governments. Ireland has two; North Bull Island & Killarney National Park. SAAOs: Special Amenity Area Orders by local authorities offer a third level of protection but are not directly concerned with biodiversity. Orders can also be imposed by the Minister for the Environment. They can also serve as buffer zones on National Parks, etc. Three have been designated, all in the Dublin region; the Liffey Valley, North Bull Island and Howth Head. REPS: voluntary farm management to conserve & regenerate habitats. See REPS III 2004.

The Backgound to SPAs and SACs .. and Natura 2000

1979 - The Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) came into force requiring each member state to designate SPAs for birds. The Directive contains a list Annex I of birds which require particular conservation measures: Ireland supports populations of 28 Annex I species including Bewick's & Whooper Swan, Greenland White-fronted & Barnacle Goose, Corncrake, Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, five species of Tern, Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin and Short-eared Owl as well as Nightjar, Kingfisher and Chough. States are also required to protect sites which are important for migratory species such as ducks, geese and waders. Wetlands that regularly support 20,000 or more waterfowl, or more than 1% of a migrant population of any one species are internationally important and qualify for SPA designation. Breeding seabird sites that meet the same criteria similarly qualify. ECJ judgement against Ireland, December 2007 European Court of Justice judgement against Ireland, 14th December 2007 - The Irish Government has failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law in relation to the designation and classification of Special Protections Areas (SPAs) for wild birds ... 1992 - the Council of the European Communities adopted the Habitats Directive, for the conservation of habitats and species of flora and fauna. It also covers the 1979 Birds Directive. The Directive seeks to establish Natura 2000, a network of protected areas throughout the EU. It is the responsibility of each member state to designate SACs to protect habitats and species, which, together with the SPAs designated under the 1979 Birds Directive, form Natura 2000. In the Habitats Directive, there is a list of habitats Annex I requiring conservation measures: it includes raised bogs, active blanket bogs, turloughs, machair, heaths, lakes and woodlands among others. Annex II is a list of protected species: it includes the Bottle-Nosed Dolphin, Otter, Freshwater Pearl Mussel and Killarney Fern. 1997 - The Habitats Directive was transposed into national legislation by the European Union (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997. From the Natura 2000 Newsletter of June 2007: SPA; Smallest % of national territory of the EU's 27 members. Whereas the Irish network covers an area equivalent to ~3% of its national territory, the EU average is 10%. Assessment = incomplete. SAC; Assessment = substantial list but still incomplete. Incomplete on assessment is EU speak for unsatisfactory i.e. FAIL.

SAC designations in Dublin Bay 05/2002 For the conservation of plants, animals & wildlife habitats of EU importance. 1 Km grid squares	SPA designations in Dublin Bay 05/2002 For the conservation of rare & threatened European bird species & their habitats. Clickable Map

United Nations Environment Programme & World Conservation Monitoring Centre http://www.unep-wcmc.org Database http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/wdbpa/growth.cfm For UNESCO Biosphere sites see http://www.unesco.org/mab/bios1-2.htm Information on the Ramsar Convention from http://www.ramsar.org/ See also Ireland's Environment "A Millenium Report" published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Biodiversity in Ireland - a Review of Habitats and Species - John Lucy & Yvonne Doris, EPA, July 2001, 10euro. "Living with Nature" Feb. 2002, free from National Parks & Wildlife Service, 7 Ely Place, Dublin 2. Special Protection Areas for Birds in Ireland published by National Parks & Wildlife Service, late 2002. NPWS online GIS system .. NEW Natura 2000 The EU's network of protected areas. Natura 2000 Newsletter.

SPA designated areas in Wicklow County.
There are no designated areas further south in the county.

NPWS online GIS system
This will replace the old www.heritagedata.ie site, so the workabouts in the link below will be a thing of the past!

Using National Parks & Wildlife Service GIS data ..

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