Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I join my colleague in formally congratulating the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on his new portfolio. Deputy Crowe failed to mention the waterways to which the Minister of State takes in his spare time.

Biodiversity Week gives us a moment to reflect not only on the wonder of Ireland's natural heritage but also on the scale of the challenge we face in restoring and protecting it. I acknowledge the tremendous progress made in recent years. Since 2020, we have increased National Parks and Wildlife Service funding from €28.7 million to €78 million. We have grown the service's team by two thirds, from 349 staff to 577. That represents real investment and, indeed, real ambition. I have spoken about this previously in the House.

We are also seeing the results of our investment, including the creation of Ireland's first maritime national park. Two national parks have been established since 2020. Over €2.9 million has been committed this year alone to local biodiversity projects in every county. In this regard acknowledge the work done on biodiversity in my constituency by the Monkstown Tidy Towns group. Tidy Towns groups up and down the country are making a huge effort for Biodiversity Week, as the Minister of State will be aware. In fact, there are 350 different events celebrating Biodiversity Week and engaging communities up and down the country – from whale watching and woodland walks to bat-box building and biodiversity cycles.

In my constituency, Dún Laoghaire, I warmly welcomed the recent allocation of funding for Loughlinstown forest, which will enhance a valued local amenity and protect a vital green lung for our community. Dún Laoghaire is a proud maritime constituency, home to our outstanding harbours and the seafront. It is part of the Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere. It is one of only a handful of such areas in the world that combines a capital city with a protected marine environment. Our coast, harbours and marine habitats are not just scenic treasures; they are also rich in biodiversity and critical to climate resilience.

Of course, Fianna Fáil's record on the environment stretches back generations. It began with Éamon de Valera's strong commitment to reforestation and nature, culminating in the Forestry Act 1946, which laid the groundwork for modern woodland restoration. The Ceann Comhairle will be aware of the creation of the 620-acre John F. Kennedy Arboretum, officially opened in 1968 in New Ross, Wexford, by the then President Éamon de Valera. It is a living monument to biodiversity that was well ahead of its time in promoting education, conservation and commemoration.

That legacy of action continued. It was a Fianna Fáil in government that introduced the first ban on smoky coal in 1990, a pioneering move that dramatically improved air quality and reduced premature deaths in our cities. We also established the Environmental Protection Agency under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992, giving Ireland an independent environmental watchdog at a time when few countries had one. Today, that legacy continues.

However, beyond celebration, this week is also about responsibility. We are in the middle of a global biodiversity crisis. The extinction of species, degradation of ecosystems and impact on water and soil health all threaten our food security, climate goals and the well-being of future generations. That is why we now have a legally binding EU nature restoration regulation and why Ireland is developing a national nature restoration plan. The first leaders' forum met in March and community conversations will follow. Crucially, this will not entail top-down diktat; the process will be shaped by farmers, fishers, foresters, scientists and, indeed, citizens.

Fianna Fáil in government believes in a just transition. That means voluntary, well-supported measures, not punishment. Our agri-environment schemes are a clear example. ACRES now supports over 55,000 farmers and has seen €490 million paid to date for habitat restoration, tree planting and the protection of nearly 9,000 km of watercourses. Some 21,000 nest boxes have been built for barn owls and kestrels. This is biodiversity in action, led by our farming community. We have also expanded wetland restoration in the midlands, supported peatland rehabilitation through Bord na Móna and rolled out biodiversity duties for all public bodies, embedding nature into how we plan, build and manage public services.

There is more to do, of course. We must build on the fourth national biodiversity action plan for the period 2023 to 2030. The Minister of State worked on that with me when he was a member of the climate action committee during the previous Dáil.

We must increase research funding and strengthen enforcement to combat wildlife crime. We must continue to bring nature into our towns and cities - into our schools, our greenways and our housing schemes.

Restoring nature is not just an environmental duty; it is a national project that binds community, culture and care for the land.

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