Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply, but she did not answer my question. Is there an appeals process if for someone whose land has been put into a co-operation area on the basis that it is suitable for the breeding of hen harriers and who believes it is not suitable? There is a lot of land in the Slieve Aughty range and on Slieve Bernagh, where it is proposed to build a wind farm, that is suitable for hen harrier breeding. However, there is land in various parts of Tulla and right across the foothills of the Slieve Aughty range that is suitable but there is also land that is not suitable. There was an appeals process when the designations were made for the special area of conservation, SAC. I accept that this is not an SAC; it is just an inclusion in a co-operation area. If the land is manifestly unsuitable, however, then surely there should be an appeals process. Otherwise, we are just wasting time. The Minister of State referred to flagship projects. There is a Ukrainian flag on Leinster Lawn today. These flagship projects will benefit the environment every bit as much as the Ukrainian flag on Leinster Lawn will benefit the morale of Ukrainian fighters in Bakhmut today. We love a bit of tokenism. The Government especially loves it, and the powers that be more broadly in this House, but sometimes we have to deal with realities too.

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