Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know and, unfortunately, the only way I can be fair is to start with the Members who spoke first and if I do not get to deal with the other Deputies' contributions, my apologies.

I spoke about the bees earlier so I will not talk about that again. Deputy Smith mentioned the curlews also and managed burning is very good for the curlew and the red grouse. The biggest enemy of the curlew is unmanaged or degradation of existing habitat and predation. That is the scientific view of the leading expert on our birds in the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Dr. Barry O'Donoghue. I spoke about that at the committee. My Department is spending €400,000 over the next three years on a curlew management programme.

Deputy Sherlock, who is not in the Chamber, mentioned a public consultation process, as did Deputy Boyd Barrett. There was an extensive public consultation. There were 188 submissions and analysis was done by my experts from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, led by the chief scientist, Dr. O'Keeffe. That is a pilot that will be very closely monitored.

What BirdWatch Ireland is saying is a flagrant distortion of the facts. What it is characterising is not evidence based and in my view and that of the Department, and our scientific research, does not bear gravitas.

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