Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

When I saw the expression "etc.", I asked myself what it meant. We are on Report Stage of the Bill and there is a proposed amendment referring to "cutting etc.". What does it mean? This is absolutely regressive. I am very concerned that every step we felt we had made with the Minister over the course of the past few months has now been obliterated. I very much hope she can give us some sense that we are not misreading the amendment and that there is something in it that will help us to understand because, as it stands, my concern is that we are back to square one. The Bill, as Senator Norris said earlier, is absolutely grubby and it needs to be thrown in the bin. I am very frustrated to see what the Government has proposed here. It represents destruction of heritage, destruction of our hedgerows and destruction of the beauty of the Irish landscape. It is an absolute disgrace. I am appalled and upset by what has happened today. We are on Report Stage. We are running out of time. Our natural heritage, the acres and acres of hedgerows of our hedgerow system, pollination, birds - every aspect of our hedgerow system I see being eroded in one late, miserable, fell swoop, and I am very disappointed.