Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I was at the launch of the fourth national biodiversity action plan in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin.

It was a packed house, and the level of expertise in that room represented lifetimes dedicated to nature protection and enhancement. Often they were lonely voices for many years. The sense of enthusiasm, optimism and hope in that room at the launch of that plan was palpable. It is highly significant that it is now statutory and being legislated for. That is one of the most important measures for biodiversity. I know people want to see tangible results but a foundation has now been set on which we can build and I that is particularly important. That is of course matched by future funding for climate and nature investment.

As I was reading this document, like the rest of us over the Christmas holidays, it was noticeable that although environment is mentioned quite a bit, there was a lack of mention of nature or restoration or those important measures. The Minister of State has stated that plan was only launched while this was being drafted, so I understand why the biodiversity action plan has not quite been weaved into this document yet. I accept that and do not think there is anybody better placed than the Minister of State to take a crack at the concerns expressed by everybody here. I believe every one of us is united in our desire to roll back the damage and degradation to our natural environment. Much of it is unseen and we do not even notice it out there but it is happening. Some of the measures put in place for nature protection have been quite impressive. We are talking about a national biodiversity action plan here. Of course, there will also be biodiversity action plans at county level. My amendments follow in a similar pattern to the transport ones, which is to start at the highest level document, the national planning framework, and weave it in there. I was faced with a dilemma. If you look at a transport delivery plan, it is a lot more tangible if you say you are going to build a rail line from A to B. However, substantial actions on nature and diversity can take quite a time to deliver. Unless you set targets for X km of rivers and lakes and so on, it is a difficult thing to definitively apply into something like this legislation. However, I accept the Minister of State will do his best on that, and I agree with many of the comments made by my colleagues here too.

I welcome the clarification on amendment No. 18. It is important to get that right because it sets the footing for the rest of the references to the national biodiversity action plan, NBAP, throughout this document. I have tried to introduce it at national planning framework level and then look at the national planning statements to make sure it is included in that. The regional, spatial and economic strategies and the content of those are part of that, as is the process for putting them together. The Office of the Planning Regulator needs to assess those plans and ask if they take account, have regard for, or are consistent with whatever wording we settle on. It goes right down to the development and local area plans too. It is at the development of the local biodiversity action plans that the real detail will be put in and the fact that we have a biodiversity officer now in every local authority gives real hope. We have filled those positions and have people there to deal with the strategic level of trying to protect our environment. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will have a critical role in this. The Minister of State's Department is the best place for the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the biodiversity plan because he will need to have regard to that plan, or any plan or assessment of plans, as will anybody else associated with assessment of plans. I am comforted by that.

There has been significant progress in terms of the announcement of new national parks. In three years we have gone from 2% to almost 10% in marine protected areas. This committee did a lot of pre-legislative scrutiny on the marine protected areas legislation. We look forward to seeing that coming forward. I accept that the Minister of State will go back because the national biodiversity action plan is new. I do not see how it could have been weaved into this because it had not been published at that stage, which was prior to this being published. They should take it away and look at the most appropriate places to reference the national plan and the most appropriate places to include the local biodiversity action plans.

The nature restoration law is something else we will have to consider. It is a European regulation so we will have to be compliant with that and I expect, coming back, we probably will. I do not know how many times the 2000 Act was amended. It was many times. I have no doubt this will be too. The nature of a planning Act is that it is so big, complex and far reaching that from time to time, things will come up and it will have to be amended. We will get further European directives. I think the water framework directive is mentioned as well. We are trying to restore that good ecological status to our water bodies and many other aspects of nature. I am satisfied the Minister of State is the right person to bring our views back, to weave them into the plan and bring them forward on Report Stage. That would be helpful. I also accept that we are all well intentioned here. I cannot honestly stand over amendments I have made and say the wording is perfect, will have no other implications and should go in the plan. I bring these forward with the suggestion of what my intention is, and leave it to the Minister of State to craft it in a way that does not have unforeseen consequences or implications for other sections of the plan. I refer to what Deputy O'Callaghan has said about how this wording is fine and should be accepted. If the Minister of State accepts some of that wording and it is seen to be not right, then he will have to amend it on Report Stage. The Deputy whose amendment he accepted will feel put out that he accepted it and then changed it.