Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in today. I also thank them for being a voice for biodiversity over quite a number of years. Biodiversity does not get the coverage it should get or the discussion it needs. The witnesses have all been very active in this area so I thank them and acknowledge that.

My first question is primarily for Dr. Lysaght. He spoke about the red lists of species that are at risk of extinction. Yet when a species is identified and included on a red list, we do not seem to have any emergency measures that are set in train to actually address that crisis for that particular species, which I find very concerning. I am doing some work on the basking shark at the moment and that is not even protected under Irish legislation, even though it is an endangered species. What should happen when a species is included on these red lists? What actions should the State take to make sure there is a concerted emergency effort to deal with that crisis?

My next question is for Professor Stout and Mr. Fogarty and relates to peatlands. We have identified nature-based and climate benefits to restoring our peatlands and there is some work happening in the midlands in that regard. It was interesting to see reports over the weekend that a species of bird could be about to breed on these sites for the first time in 300 years. That is exciting because it shows what can potentially be achieved in these areas if we put some work into them and just give them the space to return to their natural state. Would now be a good time to look at creating a national park in that area, with the appropriate model? Mr. Fogarty said the model we use has not produced biodiversity benefits but that is because biodiversity has not been specified as the ultimate objective. Is there potential for a national park in the midlands with biodiversity at its heart, and is now a good time to start that off? When it comes to the damage and impact we can have on biodiversity, a lot of the time when a species or habitat is destroyed or so negatively impacted that its biodiversity potential is ruined, we have this mindset that it has happened and there is nothing we can do, or that it is unfortunate it has happened but we have to move on. Should we be looking at something along the lines of an ecocide law that would hold Governments to account? For many years we have had targets and legislation that we have failed to meet and our biodiversity is in a worse state now than it ever has been.

While we need the incentives and the carrot approach, do we need major legislative oversight as well? Would that be useful?