Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Minister of State for quite a positive statement. There has been a new appreciation of nature and our country since the pandemic. Even prior to that, there was a new appreciation for our seas, land, rivers, streams, mountains, beautiful parks and surroundings and mountains, which is a very good thing. There are six national parks in Ireland, dotted across almost each corner of the country. I am quite familiar with the Wicklow Mountains National Park. The State made a mistake by not buying Luggala House and the attached 5,000 acres three or four years ago. It was going for a song, essentially. It is a pity that did not happen because it would have been included in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. People can still use the environs, but it would have been a huge addition to the Wicklow Mountains National Park. National parks are accessible for all sorts of activities such as walking and taking in the outstanding beauty and biodiversity. They are hugely significant for our well-being as humans and for animals to cohabitate with everybody else. They are very positive.

The Minister of State's statement was very good from the outset. I hope things can improve. There are enormous challenges regarding not only our national parks but nature as well. Other Deputies have spoken about invasive species. Rhododendron is a huge issue, particularly around Killarney and in other national parks. Resources must be put in to curtail it. If it is not curtailed, it will curtail nature. I am glad investment is being made in that regard. The Minister of State touched on the European Court of Justice and the number of issues around special areas of conservation, SAC, and some of the breaches. I understand that was from 2019 but that has been addressed, to a certain degree, which is welcome.

I am quite passionate about issues around walking trails and waymarked walks in Ireland. We have some of the most extensive waymarked walks in Europe. A huge amount of people come from all over the world for these waymarked walks. They traverse the whole country and go into small villages which most people would probably not visit if it was not for the walks. They bring a huge amount of chances to meet people, see villages and have experiences they normally would not if they were in the car, etc. We should use our resources more and make better use of waymarked walks; they are under-used. The good thing about Ireland is that most of these waymarked walks go through people's land. There is a good sense of right of way, which is brilliant. They need to be developed more, particularly wilderness huts, of which there are very few. There are a few in Ballincroy and in the Wicklow Mountains National Park. I do not think there are any in the Connemara or Burren National Parks. There should be more of them. They are very eco-friendly. People camp, but wilderness camps are self-sufficient and people can sleep the night in a national park, which is a fantastic experience if you can do it. It is very positive. If the Minister of State could get rid of midgies at this time of year, I would vote for him for El Presidente.

See this speech in context