Mr. Pádraic Fogarty:

I will address a matter which has not already been addressed. It relates to the opportunities and the trade-offs. Nearly every form of biodiversity restoration also results in climate benefits. This restoration may relate to peatland restoration, protecting the ocean, regenerating farm soils or native forests. Where the trade-offs come in most starkly is in the area of renewable energy. We have seen a number of examples in Ireland, even in recent times, of renewable energy infrastructure - wind farms - having been put in the wrong place. This has resulted in, for example, the devastation of peatland habitats in Donegal. We are, unfortunately, now looking at something similar coming down the line. Renewable energy projects are going to be sited in marine environments without marine protected areas having been identified. The co-benefits are very real and very substantial but these projects do require careful planning. Climate and biodiversity must be put on more of a par with one another rather than being seen as different issues.