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

I will address some of the points raised by the Deputies present, namely, Deputies Smyth, Eugene Murphy and Ó Snodaigh. I thank the speakers who contributed last night, namely, Deputies Burton and Connolly. Deputy Catherine Martin also spoke earlier.

I welcome Fianna Fáil's commitment to the biodiversity agenda. It is something that we need to tackle collaboratively if it is to be done in any kind of effective way. We have clarity on the rates of extinction now and this should be a clarion call for immediate and effective action. We have taken action. This is not just about fine words. I have a biodiversity action plan. I have increased resources for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, designated 250 special areas of conservation and secured Government approval for a biodiversity duty. I have also published climate action plans for the natural and built heritage. The Government has acted even in the teeth of a downturn. My Department is also working across Government on the sustainable development goals. I want to be constructive but I must remind Deputy Smyth that when her party was in government it severely cut the National Parks and Wildlife Service budget. I am restoring that budget. We prefer actions rather than words, but I was very pleased to hear the Deputy repeat many of my points about what has to happen in her conclusions. I thank her for that. Consensus is ultimately the key challenge in which all parties ultimately have a stake. We are not hiding behind this issue. Nature is the web of our lives and we are not prepared to sit back or fail to act on the imperative for immediate and effective responses.

I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for his comments. Is fearr déanach na go brách - better sooner than later. The reality of extinction is that we are the first generation to have the hard facts about it and the last that can take action and is in a position to act. That bell is tolling loudly and we all need to hear it. The Deputy is correct in his summation of the causes and I hear what he is saying. Many of his ideas certainly merit further thought from my Department and the Government and I thank him for acknowledging the valuable contribution of the farming communities and NGOs with which we partner on many different initiatives. We spent thousands of days and millions of euro on tackling invasive species, such as the rhododendron, as was mentioned.

I agree with Deputy Eugene Murphy that biodiversity loss is a matter for us all. It is a shared responsibility. Action, as the Deputy said, begins at home. There must be a profound change in how we interact with nature and in our patterns of consumption. I agree that the response has to be a whole of society response. I am working hard to restore the National Parks and Wildlife Service budget to pre-crisis levels. I agree that biodiversity loss is a problem for all of us and that we have to work together.

Deputy Murphy also made a point about bogs. My Department has worked hard to reach agreement with landowners and turf cutters and we are restoring 12 raised bogs. He also mentioned the idea of growing small areas of grain. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's GLAS scheme includes an option for small-scale tillage which benefits many birds, including the Yellowhammer.

We have made meaningful progress on many fronts and there is much to commend. We still have a natural environment which offers us significant resources and advantages. I recognise that there is a need to do more, however. It was helpful to hear the different contributions from the various parties as to what the Government, despite the progress made to date, should be doing. I recognise that and I am committed to moving forward.

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