Ireland has offered its backing for the continued protection of wild wolves, as Environment Ministers throughout the EU look to cut the protection status of the newly repopulated predator.
Wolves are strictly protected by law under the EU habitats directive, which prohibits the deliberate killing or capturing of wolves in the wild.
Last November, the European Parliament had a motion on the policy to review the protection afforded to wolves, due to them praying on farm animals and livestock.
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This was also strengthened after EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen's favourite horse was killed by a wolf in Germany.
This week, Ireland was among 12 out of the 27 EU member states that voted to maintain these protections.
Minister of state Malcolm Noonan TD, was one of the 12 ministers who wrote a letter to "unequivocally reject the resolution's tendency to weaken the legal protection of the wolf."
The last wolf seen in Ireland was in 1786, which was subsequently killed.
Grey wolves in Europe were almost fully eradicated by the 1960s, and since, thanks to conservation efforts, their population has grown by 1800% in the last six decades.
There are now close to 18,000 wolves on the European continent, which have even been spotted as far west as countries like the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The protection status of the wolf in the EU contines to divide Environment Ministers in the European Union. following on from the November resolution to mitigate their status.
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