Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It comes back to the whole conservation element. The Minister signalled that some of the revenue collected from the fees will be put back into conservation and habitat protection. In that regard, is there room to address the issue whereby necessary flood prevention works have taken place within a particular town to protect residences and businesses, the best examples in my own area being the works on the River Bandon, the River Fealge in Clonakilty and in Skibbereen, but the outcome had not been good from a habitat and biodiversity point of view? What tends to happen on these rivers is that the Office of Public Works carries out its works with one thing in mind, that is, flood prevention. However, at times what is left afterwards, including in the three examples I gave the Minister, is a biodiversity desert in which the riverbed has been completely changed and not re-established. Is there potential for funding from this stream of income, perhaps supplemented by other funding, to rewild or replace habitat that has been lost where there is a desire in the community to do so? The works in Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibbereen are perfect examples. The spawning of fish and breeding birds have been impacted.