Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Certainly with my previous hat on, I was familiar with and was in Lixnaw with the Minister, Deputy Foley. It is a great hurling club that benefited from the sports capital programme.

I will set out the facts on this, as much has been said publicly that sometimes polarises communities. It is clear that any measures will be introduced with landowners in mind and in consultation with them. That will be considered in the context of an overall national restoration plan. It is important to flag again that such measures will be voluntary and will have to be well resourced. I already set out in my original answer the context of State land, such as Bord na Móna land and what the NPWS is already doing in nature restoration and improving biodiversity. The Swedish Presidency is trying to conclude this file. That will allow for trilogue discussions to take place with the Parliament and the Commission to agree the final text. Significant flexibility has been built into the latest iteration of the proposed regulation - and the Minister, Deputy McConalogue has set this out clearly - because of our negotiations with the European Council and the Commission. The NPWS will continue to work with the EU and national stakeholders to develop an overall national restoration plan that works for all aspects of society. We need nature and we also need food. The scientific evidence is definitive. The security of both are interconnected, even more so in a climate-changed world. We should all be mindful of that. That is why we will hold the trilogue discussions to try to strike a balance. As I said earlier, and as has been said by the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and others, we will work with landowners, all schemes will be voluntary and well resourced and we will also use State lands. It is about striking a balance in the European negotiation.

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