Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

What about quid pro quo? The NPWS is quite happy to verify that habitats are nesting grounds for birds that are already included in the birds directive because they are an endangered species, yet some have not been included, I presume inadvertently. There have been a raft of proposals to zone these areas as national heritage areas because they are habitats for these birds, which I presume was done by the NPWS using objective criteria. It just did not dream this up. If the service has cited the birds in these areas since, will the Department consider including the areas as part of the new applications that will be made in the autumn? These areas should be able to attract tier 1 status because preserving such habitats is its primary objective.