Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the curlew and the yellowhammer, which were mentioned before, some speakers have mentioned existing threats to these birds which are at risk of global extinction. As I am not an expert in this field, perhaps Mr. Copeland will confirm that March is a month of nesting, is it not? Is that when they establish territories and so on? Will Mr. Copeland confirm whether this Bill will decimate these species? I am thinking of my children. If there are only 120 pairs in Ireland and this Bill then comes in, what happens to the yellowhammer and the curlew for the next generation of children? Will they ever get to see curlews or yellowhammers?

On the pilot project to which Mr. Copeland referred, how exactly will that work if there are no baseline data? How can we have a pilot project if we do not know where we are starting from? How will we know what damage is done? We talk about common sense. I would have thought data would be needed to work out the results of the pilot. Surely there must be comparisons. I would have thought that.

As a follow-on from my colleague, Senator O'Sullivan, on the issue of consultation, does anyone know if the Attorney General has been asked to review the legislation in light of the amendments made in the Seanad? Do we know if the Attorney General is satisfied that the provisions of the Bill, particularly those contained in section 8, would be in compliance with the strategic environmental assessment directive and the habitats directive?