Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We signed up to an obligation but we did not fulfil it. This obligation predates the Government, and the Minister is working towards resolving this issue. Conservation is never easy, and we know a number of species have dwindling populations. Do the European institutions take account of the staff and resources required to fulfil these obligations, particularly at a time when there are huge constraints on the economy? We can see from Question Time today the variety of matters for which the Department is responsible, at a time when it has probably been losing staff and expertise. Is there any give from the European Union in terms of insisting on conservation when, unfortunately, it would be fairly far down the food chain when it comes to other issues at European level?

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