Dr. Tadhg O'Mahony:

I echo Dr. Ní Dhúill.

It is a very important point. It can assist the central policy process to have better accounting tools to have better data but, critically, as Dr. Ní Dhúill also said, on-the-ground data is needed. Basically, a land use map is needed. It is in there, as recommendation 67, in the outcomes of the citizens' assembly. It is a very sensible recommendation that the current condition, the current habitat and species that are there are understood in producing the land use map. It is very important to have both that bottom-up and top down.

Deputy O'Rourke asked what elements are needed in a programme to start to look at if we can shift what we invest in in terms of public subsidy. Critically, it has to be nature positive, and not that it is just tweaking but that it is actually regenerative or restorative. As for how do we do that, we focus on metrics such as water quality, species, preservation of habitats and hedgerows. Many different metrics and on-the-ground realities need to be taken into account in devising this but it needs to be nature positive. It needs to focus on restoration. It cannot just come from farmers increasing some of the biodiversity when we think whether we need to expand some of the land we protect and restore. As for the existing land, how do we manage it, as Professor O'Hagan-Luff mentioned? How do we manage that to maximise what it can do for biodiversity? That runs across from our land that is protected for either species or habitats, or peatland habitats, our national parks and in urban areas.

Starting in terms of understanding the staging of capital, it is very important to recognise - Professor O'Hagan-Luff mentioned this - that The Dasgupta Review internationally said there is an ideal, which really needs to be supported, and that this comes from the private sector because it is benefiting. The market benefits from the provision of services that are there, whether it is State or whether it is ecosystem services. It is very important that they are contributing towards that but, at the moment, as The Dasgupta Review said, we do not have enough mechanisms to operationalise that. We do not have the time to completely revolutionise the system. We will need to focus on public funding first while we upscale private, stage it and transition it, as we go along.