Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 8, to delete lines 36 to 42 and substitute the following:“(m) to promote and monitor the protection and enhancement of water quality and water status in all aspects of forestry, so as to ensure that forestry plans, operations and forest-based activities regulated under this Act are compatible with the requirements of Directive No. 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 on water policy;”.

Amendment No. 15 seeks to amend section 5(m) by inserting a reference to water status and a provision that forestry plans should protect water status. The subsection mentions the water framework directive as it talks about water status, maintaining water status and improving the water status of waterways in the country. Therefore, it is important that water status is mentioned in the text because it will give the matter greater standing than simply referring to water quality. One cannot, under the directive, improve and enhance water quality without improving the status of water. Given that the legislation talks extensively about forestry plans, it is important that forestry plans should be measured against the water framework directive. Those are my reasons for tabling the amendment.