Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses. I also have a huge interest in ecology, nature-based solutions and biodiversity.

My questions are for Professor Buckley. I note she recommends incorporating two definitions, one for biodiversity and one for nature-based solutions. Will that give sufficient emphasis to or acknowledgement of the need to ensure there is no impact on biodiversity as a result of tools and mechanisms to address climate change? That is where I would like to see us going. If we strive to address climate change while continuing to heap huge pressures on our populations and systems that is still a losing situation. There are ways to get that balance right. Should that be more explicit in primary legislation rather than pointing to the biodiversity action plan?

One of the main issues with the concept of nature-based solutions and biodiversity is that the language is not widely understood or known. It is a relatively new way of looking at our systems. Does Professor Buckley think there is enough information and research to enable us to point to maritime areas and state how much storage capacity we could get out of the sea grasses in an area or what the specific result of wetting a bog would be? Should there be more focus on getting that information and drawing up the required maps and models?