John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I am disappointed he did not invite me. The first geese came to the Wexford Slobs in 1898. They were greylags from Iceland, and were the common winter goose in Ireland at the time. However, white-fronted geese from Greenland first appeared in the Wexford Slobs in 1910 and numbered several thousand in the middle of the 1930s, and they replaced the greylags. Around 10,000 white-fronted geese - one third of the world population - spend the winter on the Wexford Slobs. A great number of people visit the area in the winter months to see these geese for themselves. It is important that this area would be protected.

I welcome the Bill. I hope it will pass all Stages as quickly as possible. We are looking forward to the consolidated legislation to which the Minister refers and I hope he can explain why it is taking until 2014 for this to happen.

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