Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for my missing the start of the meeting due to a prior engagement. I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State to the committee today.

One point I wish to touch on is how it is great to see proof of the ending of the lost decade, to which the Taoiseach and others have referred.

Increases in funding across the board in the Department are to be welcomed after several years when there were cuts as a result of economic circumstances. Now that the economy is being well enough managed to allow us to grow, investment in key areas is absolutely crucial.

An extra €1 million has been allocated to Waterways Ireland. Is this for specific projects or for day-to-day operations? The built heritage investment scheme and structures at risk fund are important and I am delighted to see more money going into both. As the Minister stated earlier, these projects involve small-scale building contractors locally carrying out labour-intensive work. The built heritage investment scheme growing into the future is crucial. Will the Minister expand on the built heritage element of the €1 billion capital investment as part of Project Ireland 2040?

How does the Minister see the roll-out of the national biodiversity plan? The Curragh Plains, a 5,000 acre expanse, is not a national or designated heritage area. However, it is important from a biodiversity point of view. What are her broader plans for the national biodiversity plan?

I have had many dealings through the years regarding Mouds bog and there were difficulties in finding alternative turf cutting sites to it. I recognise the significant investment the State has put into the compensation for turf cutters and I hope that a permanent, long-term solution can be found for local residents and others.

The Barrow blueway has significant support in Kildare. While it ran into some planning difficulties in Carlow and the southern tip of Kildare, a significant part of it has planning permission. We are anxious to see this developed. It is another example of investment in our waterways, which is good from a heritage and tourism perspective and is crucial to rural areas like south Kildare.