Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I warmly welcome the vote of approval for the nature restoration law in the European Parliament last week. As we know, this law proposes to restore at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030 and repair all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It will involve the restoration of terrestrial, coastal and freshwater ecosystems, including wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers and lakes.

As regards peatlands, EU states will be obliged to bring forward restoration measures for drained peatlands on at least 30% of such areas by 2030, 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050 and to scale up rewetting. These are ambitious targets and will be very relevant for Ireland. They will have a real impact on land use and agricultural lands.

These significant measures are needed for the survival of nature and wildlife. As the Minister of State said here, nature is in trouble and we must help it to recover. We have a biodiversity emergency. It is not an exaggeration to say our very survival depends on this restoration and recovery. To survive, we require oxygen, clean water and, of course, food. For this we need a stable climate, soil and trees. Peatlands and woodlands play their part in providing these basic requirements. In short, we need a healthy functioning ecosystem to survive.

Also of importance is nature as a recreational resource, which is so important for our general well-being. What we have now is degradation of our native habitats. A total of 85% of our most precious habitats have an unfavourable status. Research indicates that every species category of Irish plant and animal is now under threat. We need to act urgently and decisively.

What do we do? The Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss report published in April of last year made 159 recommendations. The Minister of State here published the fourth national biodiversity action plan in January. This provides a number of actions such as the expansion of national parks, the tackling of invasive species and the combating of wildlife crime, among other things. Most importantly, the plan is backed up by legislation imposing legal requirements on public bodies, and I am referring, of course, to the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2023.

We can very much look forward to the publication of a national nature restoration plan by 2026, following comprehensive consultations with all the relevant stakeholders. All this ties in with the EU's biodiversity strategy. Funding will also be provided through the €3.15 billion climate and nature fund announced in the budget. We should also remember that many communities are already doing their bit, as indeed are farmers, who are utilising the various support schemes in place. There are other Deputies in the House who know a lot more about these support schemes than I do. It is encouraging to see so many nature restoration schemes taking place in urban areas in my constituency, for example, very often supported by the local authority. We see the imaginative planting of derelict areas, wastelands, public open spaces and grass verges with native species, organic varieties and so forth. It clearly demonstrates that our communities in our urban areas want to play their bit as regards nature restoration and that there is a high level of awareness of the environmental crisis we now face.

The reaction of farmers to the nature restoration law has been mixed, as we have heard. I believe, however, that they should be reassured by the knowledge that State lands will be used to the maximum for this purpose, that the proposed measures are voluntary for them and that they will be incentivised through financial supports. The law also has the capacity to deliver extra income for farmers, particularly through eco-tourism. In any event, there must be clear communication and consultation with farmers on all these measures, and I have no doubt that will take place.

Thirteen Irish MEPs voted for this law in the European Parliament last week. Obviously, the two Fianna Fáil MEPs voted for it, but so too did the five Fine Gael MEPs. Sinn Féin's Chris MacManus voted against it, as did the Independent Luke 'Ming' Flanagan. I listened to the explanation by Sinn Féin here this afternoon as to why it voted that way, and it is very convoluted. It seems to me that when you are explaining, you are losing. Sinn Féin has an image problem when it comes to the environment. There is a general view that, as a party, it wants to have it both ways. For example, it opposed carbon taxes. That is just one example that is very much in the public consciousness. We therefore should not get a lecture here this afternoon from Sinn Féin about how we voted last week in the European Parliament. One does, however, have to worry about the future direction of the European People's Party, and there has been some discussion about that already in this debate. It is clear that under its leader, Manfred Weber, it is swinging sharply to the right. This will have implications for a number of issues, including migration and the green deal to tackle climate change. I think the European People's Party is meeting this week and determining its manifesto for the European Parliament elections. By all accounts, and from what I have seen so far, it is becoming a very right-wing grouping in the European Parliament, and that is something to worry about. The views on Israel of the Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, who will front the European People's Party, are also a cause for concern. No doubt all this will play out in the forthcoming European Parliament elections, so we will just have to wait and see what happens.

I want to raise the plight of the native Irish honeybee, Apis mellifera mellifera, the black bee, in the context of this debate. It is under threat from cross-breeding with non-native imports, that is, from hybridisation. I am aware of EU law, EU regulations and the requirement for free movement of livestock across the EU, but we need to make a strong case to the EU in this regard. I understand that the Government has commissioned scientific research into this issue, but it seems to me there is no urgency as regards this matter. This issue is urgent, so I ask the Minister of State where we are in respect of this further scientific research at this stage and what the purpose of this research is. Presumably, we will make a case to the EU for a derogation. If that is possible, we need to do that.

I also wish to say a few words about the linked issue of climate change. This is an existential crisis. Last year was the hottest year on record. The world is almost at the critical 1.5°C threshold. I am not sure we had a debate in this House about the outcome of COP28 in December. I do not think we did. The summit was a reasonable success. There was a recognition of the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and a call to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. There was also a call to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in keeping with the science. I also commend former President Mary Robinson on the crucial role she played at this summit. I welcome the recent European Commission recommendation on a target to cut emissions by 90% by 2040. We should endeavour to do that and, of course, to continue implementing the measures put forward in our ongoing climate action plan. I am aware that the fourth progress report on this plan has just been published. This indicates there has been an implementation rate of 65% and that 35% of the proposed actions have yet to be completed, so there is still a lot of work to be done and we need to get on with it for all our sakes.

Going back to the nature restoration law, the planning processes now have to be put in place. I think there is a target of 24 months for that, listening to the debate here, so a lot of work needs to be done as regards this law as well. No doubt it will involve a number of Departments. I wish the Minister of State well in that regard.

In the short time I have left, I also wish to raise the marine protected areas Bill 2023. I am getting very concerned that this Bill has not been published. Even when it is published, it has to be enacted before the next general election, and the timescale for that is becoming increasingly tight. Whatever the Minister of State can do to get that Bill published would be very welcome. We have some fantastic resources in my constituency. We have the North Bull Island nature reserve and St. Anne's Park. They are not only widely used by the public but also protected under the various laws. You can see the benefit of those parks and wildlife areas for recreational use and for the general well-being of our urban population. I give a shout-out to Dublin City Council for the work it is doing in protecting these recreational resources and ensuring they can be there for the benefit of future generations.

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