Mr. Niall ? Donnch?:

I will call on Dr. Lynn to reply in detail. We welcome the citizens' assembly and the engagement by that community of citizens with the biodiversity sphere. We were delighted that it was prioritised and we welcome the attention it has brought and tried to embrace as many of the recommendations as we could that fall under our remit. Some of the recommendations are broader than that. It was a very welcome and timely intervention and a well thought-out response. Nature protection does not happen without the citizen and that kind of engagement. A young persons' assembly on biodiversity ran almost parallel with the citizens' assembly to assist us in our thinking and in drawing up the national biodiversity action plan.

In the context of additional teeth, I acknowledge the Cathaoirleach's point about State agencies. They are partners in the context of the delivery of our biodiversity targets and obligations but sometimes they are subject to our regulatory overview. I will pass over to Dr. Lynn regarding the teeth that the national biodiversity action plan will have and how the Minister and the NPWS will exercise those statutory teeth.