Professor Jane Stout:

This comes back to the issue of biodiversity. Often when we think about biodiversity we just think about species but we have to remember that biodiversity also means habitats, and so when looking to restore biodiversity across Ireland we need to be restoring all those different types of habitats. One of the problems with the intensification of farming has been this homogenisation of landscape. We need landscapes to be diverse and to have lots of different kinds of biodiversity in them. Urban areas can be great reservoirs for some urban-adapted species and species that can cope with urban conditions. They are important for biodiversity, for the connectivity the Senator spoke about, and for connecting people with nature. Most people live in urban areas so there is an incredible opportunity there as well.