NPWS Data Policy

Please read the following information carefully as it sets out the terms and conditions that govern the use of products and services derived from NPWS owned datasets.

Data use terms & conditions

To request a copy of NPWS held data, please submit an application on this downloadable Data requests form  [127KB].

NPWS primarily collect records of rare and threatened species as listed on the  Checklist of Protected and Rare species‎ (Dec 2012). This document lists all of the species covered by national or European legislation or by an Irish regional red list.

Please read the following information carefully as it sets out the terms and conditions that govern the use of products and services derived from NPWS owned datasets.

These Data are owned and operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

NPWS owned spatial data are freely available when formally requested. Some datasets (SAC, SPA, NHA boundaries; Protected species data) may be viewed or downloaded from the NPWS website. While Ordnance Survey Material is used as a background for NPWS data, it is not available for download. Ordnance Survey Material is supplied by permission of the Government (Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence No. EN 0059212). 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.
• These datasets are the copyright of the National Parks & Wildlife Service.
• 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.
• Species records are accurate to 1 km square 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.
• Habitat maps are indicative in nature only, and site boundaries may have been revised since the habitat maps were produced. Habitat maps produced for the purpose of conservation planning should be read in conjunction with the habitat descriptions given in the text of the relevant conservation plan.
• 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.
• 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 these 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 digital files distributed or available for downloading will be free of viruses or similar contamination or destructive features.

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.

NPWS guidelines on access to, and use of, sensitive data:

• For these purposes sensitive data are defined as any data that NPWS does not wish to make publicly available, e.g. precise localities of endangered species.
• NPWS considers records relating to the following species as sensitive data:

• NPWS acknowledge that in some cases the threat to species from releasing such data may be negligible. However, NPWS are applying the precautionary principle in term of access to sensitive data until such time as the threat can be quantified.
• External bodies may apply for access to such sensitive data, but will not make this information generally available (eg in reports, Environmental Impact Assessments/Statements, maps).