The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), part of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DAHG), provides the legislative and policy framework for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in the Republic of Ireland. It also oversees its implementation, based on good science, with particular emphasis on the protection of habitats and species.

All bat species are protected under Irish and EU law. The EU Habitats Directive [92/43/EEC] further requires all Member States to undertake surveillance of annexed species (see Article 11). DAHG is committed to implementing a robust national monitoring programme for all bat species. To that end 4 separate bat monitoring schemes have been established to date:

a) the car transect monitoring scheme;

b) the waterways bat monitoring scheme;

c) the brown long-eared bat monitoring scheme; and

d) the lesser horseshoe bat monitoring scheme.

Refer further to RFT.