Ms Ciara Carberry:

I have visited The Gearagh a number of times. It is a wonderful and awe-inspiring place. The alluvial woodland there is very special. That is recognised in the fact The Gearagh carries every legal designation Ireland has available to it to protect such locations. Those protections are in place and have been for some time.

As I am sure members will know, the Gearagh is owned and managed by the ESB, so when we look at the Gearagh and the potential for protecting it and making a difference to ensure it is safeguarded for the future, we need to recognise it is owned by the ESB, that it manages it in a particular way and that it has reasons for doing that. Having said that, the ESB has been drawing up a management plan for The Gearagh, on which it is keen to work with us, and we are also keen to work more closely with the owners to make sure it is well protected for nature.

We are not closed to the idea, but I am not clear on what additional protection would be conferred on it by calling it a national park, given it has strong legal protection. I very much understand, however, the concerns people have about making sure it is properly protected and that we are not just trying to prevent harm to The Gearagh but are also trying to manage it proactively in the interests of the nature and habitats that are there. Steps are being taken at The Gearagh to manage the water levels to control flooding downstream and so on. We just need to be careful about how we go about it, but it is certainly something on which we are interested, I think it is fair to say, in taking a proactive role in looking after it.