Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this item, which might be described as a niche issue but potentially affects tens of thousands of people across the country.

As the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, may be aware, a vote was supposed to take place today at the European committee on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, known as the REACH committee, on a draft Commission regulation which would essentially see the banning of lead shot bullets. According to the context of the regulation, this prohibition would apply specifically in wetlands, but the provision is so broad that it would essentially mean the ban would apply across the board. The fundamental problem I have is that the vote was to take place today. Most of the people who would have been affected by it had absolutely no idea that it was due to take place. It has been postponed now. I urge the Government to ensure, first of all, that a consultation with those people who would be affected by this regulation takes place - I had been calling on the previous Government to do this for a number of years - because the costs and the impact could be quite substantial.

In the first instance, can the Minister of State confirm that the Government will follow on from the previous Government's intention to vote "No" on this regulation when it comes before it? When it gets the opportunity, will it reject this regulation? Will the Minister of State outline what the Government has been doing to defeat this regulation, knowing that it is unworkable and unthinkable and would add a hugely significant cost to farmers, who account for half of the ownership of guns in the State, and game club members? These are precisely the people we need on board if we are to ensure these types of conservation policies work. Enacting such a proposition without any consultation for them is counterproductive when it comes to promoting good conservation policies.

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