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

It has been great to tune into the conversation with Dr. Lynn. I have enjoyed hearing members talk about letting their gardens grow and hearing Deputy Devlin talk about the origins of the red squirrel.

It is a sign of the times and of how far we have come and how far our thinking has changed on the importance of biodiversity. Obviously, however, we have a long way to go.

If Dr. Lynn does not mind, I will start with a very pressing issue, certainly from a biodiversity point of view. There is an agricultural element to this as well in respect of poultry. From the point of view of wild birds and other birdlife, we see avian flu having a devastating impact at the moment. It is wiping out large populations of seabirds, particularly colonies of birds such as gannets. It is having an impact on tern colonies, guillemots, razorbills and even geese species such as barnacle geese. Particularly in the UK, the numbers are incredibly concerning and the response is a difficult one. It is hard to know what to do. From an Irish perspective, we have had confirmed cases of avian flu in wild birds on Irish shores. Gannets, in particular, are washing up dead with confirmed avian flu. From an NPWS and Department perspective, what is the response? Are we ready to deal with this? Are we putting in place measures to ensure that this does not spread and have a massive impact on our wild bird population?