Please read the following information carefully as it sets out the terms and conditions that govern the use of products and services on this website and data downloaded from this website. Once you have read these terms and conditions click the “I Accept” button at the bottom of the page to proceed. By clicking the “I Accept” button you will be deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions, our legal notices and privacy statement.

Data use terms & conditions

This site is owned and operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) who operate under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government.

This site provides a simple way of accessing spatial data managed by the NPWS, including information on Natural Heritage Areas, Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Nature Reserves, National Parks and indicative location details for protected species on a 10km2 grid square basis.

NPWS spatial data may be viewed or downloaded. Ordnance Survey Material is used as a background for NPWS data. Ordnance Survey Material is not available for download from this site. Ordnance Survey Material is supplied by permission of the Government (Permit Number 5953). Anyone wishing to reproduce Ordnance Survey Ireland material, or use it as a basis for their own publications, must obtain a licence from Ordnance Survey Ireland, for which a fee may be payable.

Data are provided on the understanding that users will:

• respect the policy of NPWS on restrictions of access to sensitive data.
• acknowledge NPWS as the originators of the records in all uses of these data.
• provide NPWS, upon request, with copies of any reports or publications resulting from the use of these data.
• not use the information to the detriment of individual species or habitats, biodiversity or the environment in general.

Data users understand that:

• NPWS encourage the free dissemination of biodiversity data.
• The data listed are from records from key datasets and reports held by NPWS; They do not comprise the complete archive of biodiversity data held by NPWS; Notice of revisions to the dataset will be posted to subscribers on our mailing list.
• Species records are accurate to 1km2 level, after that there may be errors due to different map scales being used to calculate the grid references; Many were calculated before the widespread use of GPS.
• Any biological record is specific to the date of recording and does not necessarily imply the continuance of the species at that site; Users should verify that the data were collected at a time of the day and year appropriate to the species.
• Any absence of information in the NPWS dataset does not necessarily indicate an absence of records for a given area or species, the area or species may simply be unrecorded.
• Similarly, any absence of information in the NPWS dataset for an area, does not necessarily imply a low biodiversity value for that area.
• NPWS data are not published here as legal definitions of the current actuality with regard to conservation regulations or their geographic extent. NPWS do not guarantee that the digital data is free of minor errors not materially affecting performance. NPWS do not guarantee that the digital data will be suitable for use with any GIS or any other computer software. It is the users responsibility to ensure that the data are fit for any intended use.
• NPWS have no responsibility for determining the fitness of the data for their intended use;
• The site and data are provided on an "as is", "as available" basis and NPWS does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, performance or fitness for a particular purpose of the site or any content, or the usefulness of any information or product;
• All implied warranties are excluded from these terms to the extent that they may be excluded as a matter of law.
• These data are offered in good faith to interested individuals or organisations for private use on their own computer systems.  They should not be sold, in whole or in part, nor should they form part of any application or development that is being sold. Anyone who wishes to incorporate this data into an added-value application should first contact NPWS to request permission and negotiate terms, if applicable.
• Any arrangements made between you and any third party named on this site are at your sole risk and responsibility.
• Additionally, NPWS will not be liable for any losses, costs, claims, injuries or damages (including without limitation, damages for loss of profits) arising in contract, tort (including negligence and breach of statutory authority) or otherwise from your access to or use, or inability to use the site or any content or from any action taken (or refrained from being taken) as a result of using the site or any content.
• Neither NPWS nor any third party content provider warrants that any files available for downloading through this service will be free of viruses or similar contamination or destructive features.
• While NPWS try to ensure the accuracy of the content of Conservation Plans at the time of writing, it does not accept responsibility for any errors plans may contain.
• While every effort is made to maintain consistency in the format of NPWS Conservation Plans , in the interest of making plans more accessible and user-friendly, standard texts and layout have been revised over time.
• Conservation Plans reflect NPWS policy at time of writing and may be subject to change.
• Maps associated with Conservation Plans are indicative in nature only, site boundaries are correct at time of writing and may have subsequently been revised.

Data users are responsible for:

• installing and commissioning the dataset onto their computer system(s).
• for providing and maintaining the software necessary to use the dataset.
• ensuring that proper security precautions are followed to secure back-up copies of the dataset and that an effective control is kept on the number of copies of the dataset.
• the validity of the results produced by the dataset.

Notes for use of the website species data

No personal details are provided with the records.  NPWS does not claim ownership over all of the records presented here, except where they were collected as part of an NPWS funded study, or by staff working on behalf of NPWS; While NPWS acknowledges the time and effort of those who made the records, it does not post personal information on the web;
Species records included on the website are for those species listed in:

• Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000.
• Flora (Protection) Order  (S.I. No. 94 of 1999)
• Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (the EU Habitats Directive)
• Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the Conservation of Wild Birds (the EU Birds Directive)

See attached document, Checklist of Protected and Rare species  [708KB] for complete lists of the species included.
No negative records are included (i.e. noting that a species was not found on a subsequent visit, or the site is no longer suitable), as these are too suggestive.

The following attributes are listed:

• Species Name
• Location
• 10km2 Grid square
• Full grid reference where available
• Status (whether red listed, protected etc… see above)

Searches are undertaken at 10km2 level, but data for records not considered sensitive are given with as full a grid reference as is available in the resulting query.

In certain cases, such as but not limited to, where publication of data could present a significant threat to a habitat or species, location and spatial reference data will be restricted.  Currently restrictions relate to:

• Vascular plant species that occur in a single locality, or are threatened by collection or habitat disturbance
• Saxifraga hirculus (listed on EU Habitats Directive)
• Trichomanes speciosum (listed on EU Habitats Directive)
• Records for which the location data identifies a private residence

If further details are required for such sensitive species records, please submit an application to natureconservation@environ.ie, detailing what records are required and to what use they will be put. Please put "Rare Species Data query" in the subject line.

Please note that the Map Viewer opens in a pop up window, for more information on pop up windows please see our FAQ section.

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