Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. Before we go to the second round, I want to develop on some of the points that were made previously. On this idea that it is the new national agency for protection of nature, it is very good that the officials see themselves as that. Broadly the discussion has been very positive. What we are hearing is that this fundamental change has happened at government level but also at societal level in how we regard nature and its restoration. I am hearing that there is a prioritisation. I suppose it somewhat jars with the purpose of setting up the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, which was set up because it was recognised that things were in a very bad state. What I am hearing from the officials is that, although things are in a bad state, we are starting to move in the right direction, which is very positive.

I want to talk about the non-designated areas in the context of the NPWS seeing itself as the new national agency for the restoration of nature and its interactions with other agencies of State. In the context of the upcoming publication of the national biodiversity action plan, is it true that NPWS is going to have more teeth when it comes to dealing with the likes of Coillte, Bord na Móna, Inland Fisheries Ireland, ESB, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the local authorities? These bodies all have a significant part to play in planning and development our country, often in areas that are not necessarily the designated areas but that have significant nature value or have potential for significant nature value in the future if the approach to them is different.

I would be really interested in hearing the witnesses' thoughts. No doubt the NPWS has always worked very well with all the agencies of State. I do not want the witnesses to criticise them. Our priorities are changing - as they should. There is evidence from those agencies I mentioned and others that their thinking is changing as well. What I want to understand is the role of the NPWS as it goes forward with the new national biodiversity action plan. Is it a more all-encompassing role? I presume it is a statutory consultee or that its authority will be higher than that? Is this true? Could the witnesses speak to that and whether it is the case that the NPWS is the gatekeeper for decision-making in the context of development of our areas of high nature value and potential high nature value outside the designated sites?