Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 401 relates to the obligation to prepare a strategy for the conservation of natural and built heritage under section 48. The section states, "The strategy shall include objectives for the conservation, protection, management and improvement of", and the amendment will add the phrase "native species subject to the strict protection of species under the second pillar of the Habitats Directive". That is quite specific but it is an important area to be listed here.

As for amendment No. 402, the wording in section 48(2)(b) is again quite specific, referring to "the National Biodiversity Plan including in particular the protection of trees, groups of trees or other features of ecological significance", and we want to include hedgerows. Hedgerows, as the Minister of State will know, are a very important part of our biodiversity. Their loss, when it occurs, has very significant impacts on habitats and wildlife, so having them listed specifically is needed and would strengthen the provision. In many ways, the protection of hedgerows is just as important for biodiversity as that of trees and groups of trees, not least in an Irish context, so that one word would significantly strengthen the provision and is highly relevant. I urge the Minister of State to accept that.

Amendment No. 403 would include in the section an area proposed as a natural Heritage Area under section 16 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 in addition to one designated as such. This means that an area will not have to have been designated but can just have been proposed to be such, and that will then feature in this obligation to prepare a strategy for consultation. As the Minister of State will know, if a site has been proposed, that is also significant. The word "designated" does not include proposed sites but it is important that proposed sites be listed there as well.

I might come in separately on the issue of historical sites after we have dealt with these matters.