Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) for Ireland have been created by the Natural Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). They are areas considered important for the habitats present or areas which hold species whose habitats require protection. They are the basic designation for wildlife protection in the Irish state. The NHA dataset comprises of a range of sites designated under Irish legislation. The process of designation is on-going and the data is constantly undergoing minor changes as a result of an appeals procedure. This dataset only outlines both fully-designated NHAs and proposed NHAs.