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National Parks and Wildlife Service

Irelands natural heritage is an integral part of our national inheritance and forms part of our sense of identity, providing resources of social, educational, recreational and aesthetic value.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), an integral part of this Department, manages the Irish State's nature conservation responsibilities under National and European law. NPWS is charged with the conservation of a range of ecosystems and populations of flora and fauna in Ireland. A particular responsibility of NPWS is the designation and protection of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). Consultation with interested parties is an integral element of the designation process. NPWS is also responsible for:

  • the implementation of both domestic (e.g. Wildlife Acts 1976-2000) & international (e.g. EU Habitats & Birds Directives) legislation,
  • the management & development of National Parks & Nature Reserves,
  • overseeing licencing under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

Links: http://www.npws.ie/ , http://www.noticenature.ie/

Contact: natureconservation@environ.ie