Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Before I come to the subject of today’s debate, I would like to welcome the important announcement made yesterday on additional support for the arts community. As the Minister knows, I spoke about the issue not long ago and drew attention to the enormous contribution the arts sector makes to our society despite the precarious nature of the work for many artists and staff. The Covid-19 crisis has magnified this vulnerability, not only today but possibly for months or years to come. Therefore, it is a very welcome move to see further funding going to the sector. The arts community is inherently versatile, so it lends itself well to the efficient use of resources and in planning for a very different future which the sector faces.

I will now turn to the subject of today’s debate. It is over a year since our country declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, the second country in the world to do so.

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I often question what that declaration means to us and for us - whether it was tokenistic or if it was a genuine signal of our intent to act on a crisis which threatens the very fabric of our society and economy.

As the Minister knows, before taking my seat in the Dáil I was a primary school teacher, a job that often involves explaining complex things in a simple way. Biodiversity is an extremely complex thing, but it can be explained and understood in a very simple way. It relates to the balance and interdependence between us and the natural environment. The balance of our society and economy depends on a healthy ecosystem and broad biodiversity. We may not fully know the extent to which humans depend on biodiversity, but what we know shows us we cannot maintain a stable climate or provide sufficient food for ourselves if we do not stop biodiversity loss. We need the plants that provide the basis for medicine and medical treatments. We need a large and diverse forest cover that soaks up thousands of tonnes of CO₂emissions produced by humans. We need the coral reefs that protect our coasts from increasing erosion and sea-level rise. We cannot just look at biodiversity as something that needs to be protected; it is a vital resource and service on which we depend. Unfortunately, it is now undisputed that the very service provided to us by our natural environment for free is being exploited and attacked by us, the service users.

We need not be reminded of the countless statistics and trends about biodiversity loss, all of which point in the wrong direction. My party has long pointed out the worrying developments in Ireland, such as the drastic decline in bird species, the dire pollution of our waterways and the threats to over half of Ireland’s bee species. While I do not wish to paint an exclusively negative picture, I just want to set the context of where we are starting from in regard to the efforts of the national climate action plan and, in particular, the work being done under the auspices of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to protect biodiversity and enhance mitigation and adaptation to climate change in our built heritage. Despite the drastic threats that biodiversity faces, it is gifted just a few short sentences in the climate action plan and the national transition statement. However, when we learn of yet another species under threat, headlines are made, concerns are raised and more statements are delivered in respect of the need to take action. By the same token, if we were to lose key cultural and historic landmarks to climate impacts, I do not doubt that such occurrences would make national news. It reminds me of the lyrics in the Joni Mitchell song:

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Till it's gone

When it is gone, it is too late. We simply cannot afford to be too late when it comes to biodiversity.

I acknowledge the work that the Department has undertaken, both as part of the climate action plan and also more broadly in maintaining Ireland’s culture and heritage and the protection of biodiversity. As this debate is on the national transition statement, most of my points and questions will address this. Leis sin, ag an deireadh, ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá faoin nGaeilge freisin, agus go háirithe faoinár gceantair Ghaeltachta mar atá siad faoi láthair agus mar a bheidh siad sa todhchaí.

I commend the efforts made by the Department to develop sectoral adaptation plans for built heritage and biodiversity. As a former councillor in the heritage city of Waterford, I am familiar with the importance of protecting our historic buildings and sites. Not only is it vital for restoring our culture and history, it is a lifeline for tourism in Ireland. Waterford's Viking Triangle is an outstanding example of this. However, our historic sites are also difficult in terms of energy. Heating them is both highly expensive and frustrating, with warmth escaping through every crack and corner - not to mention that we still rely mostly on fossil fuels to heat these buildings. Given that the Department is responsible for the retrofitting of heritage buildings, can the Minister provide more information or an update on the retrofit plans for sites and buildings? How costly an undertaking is it and how much will retrofits of heritage sites contribute to the overall emissions reductions of the built environment?

On climate adaptation, I did not need to read the Minister's entire sectoral plan to understand the adverse vulnerability of built and archaeological heritage. It is quite sobering and definitely resonates with those of us who appreciate Irish history and culture. It seems like a lifetime ago that Ireland experienced five consecutive storms in the month of February alone. This is most likely going to be the status quowhen it comes to our weather system. Are enough resources available for the Department, local authorities and institutions to sufficiently prepare for a future of more frequent and severe storms? What is the safety net for public institutions to be able to pay for damages done to property, for example the library in UCC that experienced severe damage as a result of flooding, as referenced in the Department's adaptation plan?

On the same topic of losses, damages and costs, I want to raise the insurance sector. While insurance is by no means the answer in climate adaptation of buildings, it should play some role, particularly as we now have a much greater understanding of the potential impact and damages. Are there any provisions for working with the insurance sector so that local authorities and the Department do not face exponential costs brought on by climate induced damages?

As I have already spoken about the stark biodiversity reality that we face as a country and globally, I will now refer specifically to the plan undertaken by the Department. It is most definitely welcome to see a sectoral adaptation plan for biodiversity, though I would propose that our country needs to go further to make biodiversity a much more central pillar of our policymaking. I know that the ink on the biodiversity plan is not long dry, but I would appreciate an update on some of the actions specified in plan, for example, peatland restoration and the reboot of Invasive Species Ireland. Are the incentives for farmers to protect biodiversity sufficient? Have they gone far enough to meet the challenge? Having read the EU's biodiversity and farm-to-fork strategies, do we need to go back to the drawing board in order to be in line with forthcoming legislation on land and biodiversity restoration?

I will briefly touch on the Gaeltacht region. The Gaeltacht is a part of Ireland that for decades has been just surviving. Gaeltacht regions are often marked by migration of young people to cities while their economic lifeline depends heavily on tourism and summer schools - two sectors that will be severely hit this year. Like so many parts of our country and economy, the Gaeltacht is resilient and adaptive to change. Over the past three months we have heard time and again about the merits of remote working and digital hubs that save many of our workforce long and stressful commutes, high rents and cramped office space. In an effort to achieve a better regional balance across our island, Gaeltacht regions strike me as perfect places for further developing business, cultural and community hubs. Continued improvements in broadband and connectivity are bringing our islands and remote regions closer to us and providing viable options for people to work where they are most productive and comfortable. Can we build on the impressive initiatives that are catching on across the Gaeltacht such as, for example, the Údarás na Gaeltachta Gteic initiative, which has supported digital and working hubs in locations throughout Ireland's Gaeltacht regions?

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