Dr. Aoibhinn N? Sh?illeabh?in:

The Deputy will see in the first two recommendations that members emphatically agreed the State has not done enough to prevent biodiversity loss and needs to do more. Successive governments have not taken this as a priority. There is likely a multitude of reasons. It is likely that people did not understand enough and that we have accepted at face value we have this beautiful countryside and will always have it. There is also a lack of understanding. I was one of those people looking outside on my drive home to Mayo saying it is beautiful and green and everything is fine.

Much of what is required is information, discussion and dialogue, as we have been saying. What we did well in the assembly and what needs to be considered further in policy actions is diversity of voices. For example, in our agricultural section we had scientists and representatives of State agencies, and then I went to the ploughing championships and invited eight farming associations, all with a different perspective. They each came, had an equal amount of time and contributed to the work and considerations of the assembly: the organic farmers association, the grain growers association, Talamh Beo, Macra na Feirme, the ICSA, the ICMSA, IFA and the hill and Natura farmers. Everybody was there and got to say something. Mr. Joyce may want to talk further on this as he is a small farmer from the west of Ireland. Such diversity and differing perspectives are key to deliberative democracy and could inform policies going forward.

The Deputy mentioned the agrifood industry. The members of the assembly want to highlight the industry has a necessary role in contributing to biodiversity gain, conservation and restoration because its people are the ones who depend on our environment being in a good state. That is in recommendation 43. Something the assembly and the deliberative democracy process do well is including that diversity of voices. This is a time for change. People are starting to consider the state of the environment and what we need to do to move forward. It is to be hoped the State, and committee members as representatives of it, can move this forward.