Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am a signatory to this series of amendments. The points have largely been made and we have somewhat discussed the matter previously. The natural restoration of biodiversity is key, as I am sure the Minister of State knows.

To take forestry as an example, many of the attempts to increase afforestation turned out to be failures or even damaging because they were based on things such as plantation models, unsuitable species, monocultures - you name it. The Minister of State will be familiar with all of this stuff. As the late Andrew St. Ledger explained to me in great detail, the best way to afforest Ireland is to allow for the natural regeneration of native woodlands and native species.

There is a very important point in stressing the restoration of our natural heritage by means of a sustainable form of environmental protection rather than protections that are not sustainable or appropriate. It is right to underline that in the Bill because there is a political argument to be won in the minds of society and planners about deepening our understanding of how we are going to solve the biodiversity crisis, which will be done through restoration and natural regeneration. It is also important to say this to prevent the sort of cultural vandalism of our heritage of which we have seen all too much. Magnificent buildings that should be restored and are part of our heritage and history are seen by certain people in the narrowest terms as opportunities for development, usually linked to people making money from them, rather than understanding that it is an absolute imperative to restore our built heritage - our architectural heritage and history - and prevent it from falling victim to cultural vandalism, which is all too prevalent. These are reasonable things to add in. I do not see what the downside is. Adding them in is just an obvious addition to the logic of what is already in the Bill.