National Parks and Wildlife Service

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Questions (606)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

606. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether the RAPTOR (Recording and Addressing Persecution and Threats to Our Raptors) protocol and associated system for recording and investigating raptor (bird of prey) persecution and mortality incidents remains operational within the National Parks and Wildlife Service; if so, the reason annual RAPTOR reports and associated data have not been publicly published since 2019; whether the protocol or reporting arrangements have been discontinued, reduced, or replaced since 2019; and whether there are plans to resume regular public reporting of such data. [37347/26]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department continues to operate the RAPTOR Protocol in collaboration with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation’s State Laboratory and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Regional Veterinary Laboratories. The RAPTOR database is up to date with 42 incidents relevant to birds of prey in 2025. Furthermore, 2024 saw the highest number of bird of prey cases submitted since the RAPTOR protocol began, at 64 cases, up from 48 in 2023 (a 33.3% increase). Following the published Irish Wildlife Manual RAPTOR Report (which covered cases from 2007-2019 period) in 2020, a comprehensive report of RAPTOR cases for the intervening period, informed by the RAPTOR database of incidents, is planned, with preparation to commence in late 2026.

Question No. 607 answered with Question No. 193.