Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is still a great day for one's head. This Bill covers that. There are two areas on which I would like to speak. One is an issue which I have mentioned here before, namely, protected species. We have our own problems with protected species in Mayo, and I have no doubt the Minister of State has similar problems in Galway. I would like his Department to have a look at areas where there is supposed to have been displacement of species. Over the past 25 or 30 years significant development has taken place in the country and there were many issues in respect of the displacement of snails, birds and everything else. I would like the Department to carry out an assessment of whether displaced species have come back to the areas from which they are supposed to have been displaced. Planning permission was refused for a wind farm in our area because it would displace red grouse. The farmer on whose land the windmills are operating to this day informs me that red grouse are nesting under the windmills. Many other species were also supposed to have been displaced.

I may go into the Bill in more detail and bring forward an amendment to strengthen the proposed new section 5(b) of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 which gives to the Minister of the day the power to "make an order to amend or revoke the natural heritage area order which so designated the land." This has been missing from Bills over recent years. I welcome this section because there are areas which should be taken out and others that should probably be included. I have seen a number of golf courses built in our areas and along the whole west coast in recent years. Planning permission for the last golf links in Ireland has been given. There cannot be any further golf links built in Ireland. This section could deal with many of those issues. I welcome it because it gives power to the Minister of the day but I believe it could be strengthened. I will consider tabling an amendment to the section on Committee Stage because this has been missing and we could have a better Bill if it was strengthened.