A number of vulnerable plant and animal species are legally protected throughout the island of Ireland. Different legislation applies in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, but in general it is an offence to deliberately:
- Pick, uproot or destroy a protected plant
- Kill or injure a protected animal
- Damage or disturb the breeding or resting places of a protected animal
- Disturb a protected animal during breeding, rearing, hibernation or migration (European protected species)
If a development has potential to cause any of these impacts, a planning authority may ask an applicant to commission a protected species survey from a qualified ecologist, and to submit a report / mitigation strategy as part of their planning application. For more information on the most commonly requested surveys, please select one of the links below:
- Bat surveys
- Otter surveys
- Badger surveys
- Bird surveys
- Newt, frog and toad surveys
- Lizard surveys
- Habitat and flora surveys
If you need a survey for a species that is not listed here, please contact us for further advice.
