Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support and endorse Deputy O'Sullivan's comments in respect of the activism and productivity of community-based organisations that care for the environment. One can see from the plethora of local initiatives, including tidy towns committees, how passionate citizens are about this. There is also an economic element to this. Bord Fáilte says that 80% of visitors to Ireland rank the environment as a key pull factor. It would be positive if the words "natural environment" were included along with the other categories. The Minister will still have the flexibility in the more generalised clause to capture other good causes but if we are serious about preserving the environment and all that entails, for the good of our own health and well-being and for the betterment of the economy, we should include this category. There is no good reason the Minister should not accept the amendments. It would give a status to the groups across the country that work hard on these issues.

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