Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

We face a biodiversity crisis. The green of our landscape masks the loss of so many key elements of our natural environment. Our life support system is on the brink of collapse and the picture is stark. Over the past 40 or 50 years every single indicator has been on a downward trend. Natural habitats are being degraded or homogenised, forest cover is being eroded and species are becoming extinct. We, as a country, share a deep connection with nature and this is a devastating loss for Ireland. As a result of the deep connection we have with nature, however, there remains hope - hope that with the right determination and political will we can turn this ship around. We are required to act.

I note a number of matters mentioned in the Minister of State's speech. I accept that a lot of work is being done. Perhaps more could be done about the rhododendron in Killarney National Park. We need a seven-year plan on that. The Minister of State mentioned our built and archaeological heritage. I refer to Tralee Courthouse, which is being ignored. The plan put forward by the Courts Service, supported by the Minister for Justice, is to close the courthouse, take away court services without any plan, build a new building on the other side of town and move there.

It does not make sense.

ACRES needs to be fully supported, as the Minister of State said. It needs more funding and to be fully supported.

The Government does not seem to be acting but in some ways it is going backwards. I would like the Minister of State’s opinion on the outrageous suggestion in recent comments by the Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, Deputy Healy-Rae, that we should plant more forestry on peatland. We think this would be a disaster for Ireland’s emissions. Maybe he is rowing back and has changed his mind but there are different signals coming from different parts of Government. Will the Minister of State confirm that is not the Government’s plan to put more forestry on peatlands, as doing so would be catastrophic?

We still have no marine protected areas legislation despite repeated assurances that the Bill would be published. Three years later we are still waiting and damage could be done. Our rivers are also in a precarious state. The antiquated Arterial Drainage Act obliges the OPW to dredge rivers and, as heavy machinery is employed in the process, trees are torn out and structures filled with debris. It is a disaster for biodiversity. Not only that, it can also lead to flooding. I am convinced that the flooding in Listowel before Christmas was a result of the lack of flood management and related to forestry. In the past the bogs used to soak it up but now the water comes down. Does the Minister of State have any comment on those points?

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