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

I thank Deputies for their contributions. Deputy Feighan acknowledged the work being done on peatlands and the bogs. I acknowledge his contribution. Deputy Carroll MacNeill mentioned built heritage. Along with the historic structures fund, this year's funding for historic buildings came to €4.3 million which will fund 449 projects with the aim of carrying out repairs to buildings to protect them over the coming decades. A significant amount of work is being done. Protecting our historic buildings from damage due to climate change will be an important part of our national response. As part of the 2020 built heritage investment scheme, a pilot microgrant stream was included.

I thank Deputy Higgins, who mentioned Silver Bridge. I am aware a campaign to restore the Guinness Bridge, as it is also known, has been ongoing in Lucan for a number of years and I met some of those involved, along with the Deputy, some months ago. It is an historic cast-iron bridge that crosses the Liffey between the Lucan and Palmerston area and the Phoenix Park and I know Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council are positively disposed to this and are co-operating on planning and funding. I hope that works out.

Deputy Higgins made some very valid points about species. Climate change is currently affecting 19% of the species listed as threatened on the International Union for Conversation of Nature red list of threatened species globally. I note she also acknowledged the work we have done in regard to the grey partridge and other species at risk of extinction. The all-Ireland pollinator plan will go a long way to assist in protecting species and I am glad it is in the new programme for Government. There is all-party commitment on ensuring that we protect our species.

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