Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 2 July 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Bird Population in Ireland: BirdWatch Ireland

Photo of Maura HopkinsMaura Hopkins (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Dr. Donaghy has mentioned that further measures need to be taken to have a robust GLAS that values biodiversity. What additional measures should be put in place in the next Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, negotiations for GLAS? I live in the west and so am quite familiar with the challenge of non-native Sitka spruce there and in the north west. Dr. Donaghy says it is having an impact on biodiversity. What is necessary in order to have a better forestry policy? I know there is talk of more diversification in types of trees but what input does BirdWatch Ireland have into forestry policy? There is a review of the forestry policy in County Leitrim. What is BirdWatch Ireland's input into the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which instigated that review because of the farmers' concerns about biodiversity but related to other issues?