Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the members of the Edgeworthstown active age group who are in the Public Gallery looking on. They asked me what we were speaking about today and I told them it was bogs. They said we do not have an awful lot of grá for bogs in this House, with the exception of Deputy Fitzmaurice, who was sitting behind my shoulder. I tried to emphasise that we do indeed have a great passion for our peatlands.

I welcome the latest revision of the text for the nature restoration law, which now sees significant flexibility included in the requirements. Thankfully, these include a softening of targets for the restoration of agricultural lands and, significantly, a move from targets to trend-based evidence for urban ecosystems. It is, of course, important to point out that the midlands are already seeing a significant nature restoration project as Bord na Móna undertakes rehabilitation measures in several of its bogs. Currently, the company plans to rehabilitate 33,000 ha, aided by significant funding from the EU.

The compelling argument from Ireland and specifically from the midlands must be that the safe and secure restoration of this 33,000 ha of land to its natural state will more than fulfil our commitments. To try to reclaim lands beyond this 33,000 ha is folly in the extreme. Bord na Móna has commenced rehabilitation works on 38 bogs since 2021. It is proposed that rehabilitation will commence on another 15 bogs this year. Across the midlands, these plans have caused some understandable concerns locally. There is a commonality in the issues arising and appertaining to many of the local bogs in my area.

A critical failure in the process, which has been referred to by several Members, has been Bord na Móna's failure to properly clean and maintain rivers, tributaries and drains, as it has done since taking charge of the bogs 60 years ago. As a semi-State company, when it began the development of more than 2,000 ha of bogs in Derryadd and Corlea bogs in County Longford, it needed an outlet for the vast volume of water to be pumped from the adjoining drains and tributaries. These rivers and drains were widened and deepened with the support of local farmers and on the basis that they would be maintained by Bord na Móna in future.

In its wisdom now, though, the company feels it can walk away from this responsibility for those drains and tributaries, while, at the same time, rewetting thee bogs, accessing a €100 million rehabilitation fund and, crucially, in future accessing the decarbonisation-related benefits to be derived from these bogs and the undoubted revenue that will be created. The current position of the company is very much at odds with what was previously agreed with landowners, which was the facilitation of Bord na Móna's requirement to pump these bogs. Bord na Móna has agreed to maintain these and other rivers and drains and provide stock-proof fencing on both sides of rivers. Indeed, the company valiantly honoured its commitment from 1964 until recently. Bord na Móna must now reinstate this commitment because farmers and adjoining landowners need to see a proper plan for the management of their watercourses if we are to fully buy-in to the restoration project.

I also wish to raise a very local point with the Minister and Minister of State. This matter is not specifically within the ambit of their Department, but it is one close to the hearts of many Green Party Ministers and Ministers of State. I hope, therefore, that the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, can take this issue up with some of her colleagues. This weekend, locals in Longford alerted me to the resumption of pumping by Bord na Móna on sections of bog in the county where lapwing birds are nesting. The company opened drain outlets and re-engaged pumping, much to the distress of a sizeable lapwing population, as the nesting sites of these birds are now exposed. Bord na Móna must be much more cognisant of the impact of its actions on biodiversity and wildlife. Its actions last weekend were simply unwelcome and undermined public faith in its rewetting programme. I ask the Minister of State to follow up directly with Bord na Móna and her colleagues in government.

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