Mr. Paul O'Brien:

I thank the Chairman for allowing us to speak. During the 1960s and 1970s Ireland was known throughout the world as the land of milk and honey. We still produce milk today but not as much honey. During the years many of our uplands and hedgerows have disappeared and we now seldom see wildflower meadows. All of these changes have resulted in a reduction in the number of wild native bees at a time when we should be ensuring greater protection for vulnerable insects. Ireland prides itself on being a green island with wild tourism and green agriculture, but we should be more protective of nature. Wildlife, including bees, needs all of the help it can get. It is time for us all to sit down together to discuss concerns about managing uplands and hedgerows. We must come up with positive solutions to minimise the conflict with nature.

I will speak from the heart. We have a major problem with the decline of habitats, flora and fauna, bees, birds and other wildlife. As citizens of Ireland and the world, we were given the land by way of a loan from our ancestors and must hand it over to the next generation in the condition in which we got it, without destroying it further. Ireland prides itself on its green image, yet habitats are disappearing. Elderly beekeepers all over the country have told me that in the past it was possible to keep 60 or 70 beehives, but it is no longer possible to do so because there is no food available. Hedgerows are protected, but there is no stipulation on how they are to be cut. In Ireland it has become habitual for them to be cut right down to the roots and then for mechanical diggers to be used to split the roots, which does not allow the hedgerows to grow back. Teagasc has been very supportive of the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations. Together, we produced a very good document last year on how to manage and cut hedgerows, but as there is no legislation in place, mechanical diggers are being used to remove them and they are not growing back. If we lose the insects, we will lose the birds and our green image. Canaries were brought down mines years ago and if they died, miners knew that they had to get out. Bees are now dying. They are telling us something, but if we do not listen to what it is, we will let down future generations.