Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to this motion and this urgent issue today, which is the EU's nature restoration law that addresses the crisis in biodiversity, and we have a crisis in biodiversity. Some 85% of Ireland's habitats are in inadequate or poor states. Despite the green image of our island, our forest cover stands at just 11%. This pales in comparison to the European average of 35%. The number of near pristine river sites in Ireland has declined from more than 500 in the 1980s to just 32 today. Many species are declining rapidly or becoming extinct. Almost one third of our protected species are declining in population. Some 63% of Irish bird species are on a list of concern with 37% on the amber list and 26% on the red list. There has been a colossal 40% drop in our watering birds since the late 1990s. These are detrimental facts. To add to this, more than half of Ireland's native plants are in decline.

We are in a state of biodiversity emergency. Without decisive action to restore nature, our future and that of future generations is under threat. We all must act to protect nature. Our future and that of other generations depend on it. On that there must be no question. The question before us, therefore, is not about if we do this but rather how we do this.

For Sinn Féin, it must be a question of pathways, not cliff edges, incentives and rewards rather than punishments, and partnership and engagement rather than adversary and division. That is the basis of a just transition that ensures that no-one is left behind. The nature restoration law has the potential to be an important part of this journey, but we must make sure we get it right. A critical component of this is that farmers and rural communities are seen as essential partners in this process. They must be recognised and valued for their contribution as custodians of the land.

The Government amendment is so broad as to be meaningless. It does not address the concerns that have been raised by very many people who are committed to see the type of nature restoration that is needed.

It is not enough for the Government to dismiss those concerns as it so often has. It must address them and must provide assurances that those concerns are being heard and will be addressed. That is why Sinn Féin has tabled our amendment to the Government's amendment, to strengthen it and actually address the concerns that have been raised.

There is a specific concern about public participation, to ensure that public participation underpins the whole nature restoration planning process, and a concern that any schemes are voluntary, not mandatory. I listened closely to the Minister of State's closing contribution. I heard him on radio recently, saying that provision could not be provided at a European level and the State would only aspire to it in the future. That is not strong enough. I will listen to the Minister of State's closing contribution and I want to hear clear commitments that these schemes will be voluntary rather than mandatory. The concern is that this will be imposed and that a bureaucrat will draw lines on a map, whereas if it is voluntary, it puts pressure on the State to design schemes to ensure that people will opt into it. That is the preferable proposition. I think it is the only way that this will be done. By doing that, one can address concerns and ensure that the farming community can come on board with this and play the active part that it wants to play.

We also seek to ensure that those who undertake the nature restoration measures are financially supported to do so and that all such plans would have a socioeconomic impact assessment. We seek to ensure that public bodies are mandated and legally obliged to engage with farmers and landowners on adjacent lands where those bodies undertake rewetting and provide assurances and financial supports, and that where there are unintended consequences, remedial works will be carried out to address those concerns and to do so in partnership rather than in an adversarial way.

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