Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2026
567. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the current status of the EU LIFE Strategic Nature Project led by the NPWS and supported by his Department and Coillte, which is intended to provide a robust evidence base to inform nature conservation measures in Ireland through the development of a bespoke platform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22278/26]
View answerThe EU LIFE Strategic Nature Project (SNaP), led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), is a multi-annual programme co-funded by the European Commission, with support from my Department, Coillte and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The project is intended to support the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives, including through the development of a robust evidence base and a bespoke data platform to inform nature conservation measures.
While the project was originally scheduled to commence in 2024, its initiation has taken longer than anticipated due to a number of implementation challenges, including recruitment. Notwithstanding this, good progress has been made in recent months in advancing project mobilisation, governance arrangements and stakeholder engagement, and preparatory work on the development of the platform is underway.
The project is now progressing, with further work planned on data integration, baseline assessments and platform development, alongside the rollout of conservation actions over the lifetime of the project to 2032.
My Department, through the NPWS, will continue to work with project partners to ensure the effective delivery of the project and its objectives.
