News

Minister Noonan encourages everyone who cares for injured wildlife to ensure they are compliant with the law

Date Released: Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, has encouraged wildlife enthusiasts and rehabilitators who take care of our injured wildlife to ensure they are compliant with the law this summer by applying for the appropriate licence.

“We have some passionate and dedicated people in Ireland who go to great lengths to care for injured wildlife. They play a vital role in protecting wild species and do great service in bringing such issues to the attention of agencies such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service. I’d like to remind them, and anyone who looks after injured wild birds or protected wild animals, to ensure that they’ve secured the necessary licence from the NPWS,” Minister Noonan said. “Without the tireless efforts of wildlife enthusiasts and rehabilitators in the community, I dread to think of the amount of injured wildlife that would be lost, either to injury or to predators, given their vulnerability. To ensure compliance with the law, it is essential that their work is done on a licensed footing and that is what we’re highlighting today.”

He outlined that applying for a licence has been streamlined, and in a bid to make the process even easier, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has released a new application format for those caring for our wildlife.

“The NPWS has upgraded their licencing process for the possession and/or retention of protected wild animals and wild birds under Sections 22 and 23 of the Wildlife Act 1976, and I would urge people to log onto npws.ie to find out more.”

The main change introduced is the splitting of one application form into two to allow for applicants to apply for the possession of wild birds or animals for rehabilitation purposes and, separately, in limited circumstances, to apply to retain such animals or birds that would be unlikely to survive unaided in the wild.

Also new is the introduction of an application form for a licence lasting 12 months aimed at experienced rehabilitators across the country who treat multiple cases on an ongoing basis.

Details of the new forms can be found in Application To Keep an Injured or Disabled Protected Wild Animal or Bird.