Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to talk about this issue. Anything renewable or environmentally friendly will always be good but it must be practical for the people affected. If not, the country will be designated with no place left for people. Farmers must be compensated for land that is designated as a wild habitat. Many farmers have no problem with that if they are properly compensated. However, it must be remembered that lands in the Ballydesmond, Castleisland and Rock Chapel areas were designated for the hen harrier but the farmers and landowners affected have not been properly compensated to date. I have told the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine that there is no problem with the Department designating any lands for wildlife once the farmer or the landowner is properly compensated.

A farm is a business and it is important ecologists understand this. Terms like “custodians and caretakers of the countryside” can seem patronising when someone is running a business, raising a family and paying bills. Instead, wildlife conservation on the land must make financial sense.

Proper predator controls are not in place when dealing with grey crows, black crows, magpies, foxes, badgers, rats and hawks which will clean out ground-nesting birds. As a result, we have lost the curlew and the corncrake. In England they still have gamekeepers but in Ireland we do not have any. I have been told that if we had enough gamekeepers, the corncrake and the curlew would still be plentiful in this country. We know gamekeepers cost money. It is fine to have all these ideas. We all love the insects and the bees. I do as much as anybody else and no one can take that from me. However, one has to pay the landowners and farmers if their lands are going to be designated.

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