Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Experts have said that some of that rubbish has come from across the Atlantic. The Minister will have had an opportunity to visit the area. For anyone who knows it, it is an area of extraordinary and outstanding natural beauty and "Star Wars" going there has been a significant boost to its tourism, but the Minister should take account of the concerns expressed by An Taisce. There must be a balance in preserving what is a fragile ecosystem - notwithstanding the fact that it has endured for thousands and thousands of years - against the risks of modern pollution, such as shown in the recent picture of plastics, and the impact of filming, which has seen the number of people visiting Skellig Michael increase. Does the Minister propose to carry out a detailed study on how to do the best for the islands?

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