Dr. Liam Lysaght:

The Deputy has hit on an area that has real potential. The roads network in Ireland is enormous. In particular, the motorway network has huge margins that have the potential to be good for biodiversity. Already, through the all-Ireland pollinator plan, there are guidelines for transport corridors in terms of how to manage them more effectively and some local authorities are doing really good work in this regard. Again, it would be a case of high-level commitment by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local authorities to strategically consider the network and say these are aspects, features and elements that are good for biodiversity, and to manage those positively. Although there are issues, particularly for the smaller roads network where hedgerows must be cut for road safety, there are other areas that would be beneficial for biodiversity. It is really about getting high level buy-in from these organisations to do this work. The tools are there and it is just a matter of commitment.

On the final point, we obviously have two Ministers who are responsible for heritage and biodiversity. Within the public sector what is missing is a figurehead behind whom we could all rally. As I have mentioned before, he or she could be an ambassador maybe from biodiversity whose job would be to raise the profile, identify what is possible and link together the different policies to make sure that they are compatible, and consistent, with one another. That is an action that I would like to see happen.