Kerry's Connor Pass among new national parks under consideration

Connor Pass, looking towards lakes feeding the Owenmore River, taken from above Pedlars Lake. Picture: Noel O Neill

The Government is considering several sites across the country, including Connor Pass, for the establishment of new national parks under the new National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP).

Heritage and Nature Minister Malcolm Noonan was speaking at the launch of the NBAP which aims to protect and restore nature across the country.

Among the key actions is the expansion and enhancement of national parks in Ireland within the next few years, which he described as the "jewel in the crown of our nature conservation".

Mr Noonan said although there is “still a way to go” with the potential acquisition of Connor Pass in Kerry the Government is “actively engaging”. The world-famous site hit the market in August for €10m.

The NBAP is the first biodiversity plan to be backed by legislation, with legal requirements for public bodies, and aims to tackle “significant impacts” on biodiversity caused by agriculture, forestry, and invasive species.

He described the plan as “a major step forward to delivering accountability” as departments, state agencies, and local authorities will have to report annually on progress.

Nature-friendly farming

The plan will also see the expansion of key schemes for nature-friendly farming with Mr Noonan saying farmers will have a “huge role” in the plan. 

“I believe that farmers are the solution for biodiversity. We need them managing their land in a way that promotes nature but continues to produce some of the best food in the world. I've never met a farmer that doesn't care about the land,” he said, adding that the greatest threat to farming in Ireland is succession.

“Providing additional long-term income for farmers for restoring nature will help to give young farmers the confidence to envision a future for themselves on the land,” he said.

Also among the 194 actions are plans to take a tougher stance on wildlife crimes. “Wildlife crime is completely unacceptable in an era of biodiversity crisis and we want to embed it even deeper into what we do,” he said.

The plan has been widely welcomed by environmental groups and scientists. University College Cork's Dr Eoin Lettice described the plan as a "starting point". 

"We have a long way to go and some very big decisions to make to reverse the trend of declining biodiversity we've seen over the last 100 years," he said.