I propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 694 together.
The Common Swift is a summer migrant, typically arriving in Ireland in early May and departing by late July. They will forage over almost any habitat, but they are perhaps most commonly associated with urban or suburban areas, where suitable nest sites in buildings are available. I am aware that the matter of declining recorded population of Swifts has recently gained attention in England and Scotland, with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) reporting a 68% decline from 1995 to 2023 in the summering population based on common bird surveys, with coverage of 1,007 1km-grid squares; albeit the shorter-term trend (from 2023-2024) is up 12%.
With fewer town and urban centres in Ireland than Britain, Swifts are more patchily distributed here. Annually, they are monitored by the Countryside Bird Survey (CBS), which is akin to the BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Though the magnitude of population trends here show similar values of decline (i.e. 70%) over a similar time period (1999-2023) to Britain, caution is advised in their interpretation. The more patchy occurrence of Swift in Ireland means that national trends are derived from recorded numbers of Swifts in 1-km grid squares captured by the Countryside Bird Survey – with the species present in just 32 1-km squares per year on average.
Swifts nest in cavities in walls or in spaces in eaves of houses and old buildings, and are colonial, nesting in groups. As a species, the Swift exhibits strong nesting site fidelity, returning to the same nest site for many years, a trait that has left Swifts vulnerable to nest site losses and/or disturbance at nest sites, due to building demolitions, renovations and construction of modern buildings without suitable cavities. The impacts of climate change, including weather patterns and declining insect abundance are also important.
The revised National Planning Framework (NPF) reflects on the capacity of the environment to accommodate development, in particular having regard to the potential for impact on biodiversity and nature restoration. In regards to the spatial planning system, a key role is managing the impact of growth and development on our natural environment, including biodiversity, and mitigating for climate change. The NPF contains several National Planning Objectives (NPOs) that aim to protect and restore biodiversity and are aligned to the objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan. There is a commitment under NPO 88 of the NPF to prepare national guidance in relation to Planning and Biodiversity to:
- Plan and manage for integration of biodiversity protection and restoration in future planning and development;
- - Ensure a consistent and strategic approach to biodiversity protection and restoration across planning authorities and administrative boundaries, and
- - Support the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (2023-2030) and the forthcoming National Restoration Plan.
There are also specific NPOs (82, 83, and 85) in the NPF to ensure the incorporation of green and blue infrastructure in statutory land use plans, the creation of greenbelts, and measures to provide for connectivity, retention and restoration of habitats in new developments.
My Department has funded many locally-based Swift projects nationwide in recent years through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund), including local and county Swift Surveys (e.g. Fingal in 2024); funding the deployment of new swift nest boxes; nest cameras; and callers to attract prospecting adults to new nesting locations. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will co-fund this year’s International Swift Conference to be held in Mayo in May 2026. My Department is also currently coordinating the preparation of a national Nature Restoration Plan, as required under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation. This includes the identification of measures needed to restore adequate quantity and quality of habitats for a range of bird species showing notable declines in national population and/or distribution, including the Swift.
