Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I will share my time with Deputy Cairns. I thank the Minister for introducing this Bill, which I understand is technical. We will support it.

As the Minister will be aware, I am incredibly passionate about this area. I have spent many years working either as a scientist or internationally as a policy adviser on this issue. I am honoured to be able to talk to the Legislature about heritage and the issues that we need to focus on. When we are looking at the transfer of functions, I understand that they are necessary under the current structure, but the Department with responsibility for housing is not the right place to have the heritage function. Our biodiversity and issues relating to biodiversity do not belong with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. They should be with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

We have a fundamental problem in this country in that we try to compartmentalise the environment. We say that climate change goes into a particular box, the environment goes into another box and biodiversity goes into another box. Anyone who has ever worked or studied or has any interest in our environment will understand that it does not work that way. Every single aspect of our environment is interconnected and our relationship with our environment is interconnected. If we are going to make the changes we have to make to address climate change and biodiversity loss, we must have a cultural shift. The way in which we deal with these issues has to start at Government level. They should not be separated out. We should not have one committee saying it cannot look at the issue of biodiversity because the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is looking at it. We need to look at these issues together, connect them and make sure we have coherent policies and whole-of-government approaches to these issues. I understand and acknowledge that the Minister is passionate about this area and I imagine I am probably preaching to the converted when I raise it. We need a cultural shift and I will continue to raise and support such a shift.

For the unfortunate week that is in it, it would be remiss of me not to mention the fires in Killarney National Park. I welcome that the Minister went to visit the site and also that he was first on the ground when a fire occurred in Wicklow. I had a look through the Dáil records for the past years and there is a playlist when it comes to these fires. When there is a fire in an area, the relevant Minister will describe it as devastating for our environment and flora, say it should not happen and is illegal and speak of needing stricter enforcement and stronger measures. A list of things is rolled out each year when these fires happen.

We have to move past that playlist and photo opportunities. We need to put concrete actions in place. We have potentially lost 7,500 acres of an area we should be protecting. Our national parks are areas where nature should be protected and safe. What we have seen is an ecocide. When we see what is happening in the Amazon, we say it is disgraceful and should not happen. This is our Amazon and we cannot accept it any longer. I hope the Minister will put concrete measures in place. I understand farm payments are stopped in affected areas but it is only for one year. I recommend that we consider stopping farm payments for ten-year periods because when a fire such as the recent one happens, it can take ten, 20 or 30 years for the land to recover. That needs to be acknowledged in farm payments. It is not just about intensive measures and penalties. At the moment, the Government is incentivising people to start these fires. We need to flip that on its head and get these people to protect and value the land they have under their guardianship. That will be key. Farmers are great at doing what one asks them to do. They are good at getting their job done. We need to make sure their job is protecting land on behalf of the State. I ask the Minister to consider that.

As I have stated a number of times, we need active management plans that make biodiversity and nature conservation the number one priority for our national parks. I ask that the Minister consider that too.

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