Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his engagement and I look forward to engaging with him further between Committee and Report Stages. In respect of that, I will not press all of these amendments.I will not press all of my amendments but will possibly press one or two. Amendment No. 1 is probably the most comprehensive and represents the preferable way to move forward in terms of engaging with section 16(6) of the 2000 Act. I will not press it now but I wish to put a number of specific points to the Minister of State. I appreciate and welcome his comments on the national restoration plan and specifically what he outlined on re-wetting. These are very positive measures and the conservation plans will, of course, have climate benefits as well as habitat benefits. My amendments are not so much concerned with what happens after a designation but are related to the process of designation. They reference the decision to designate an area. I recognise, for example, that 25 areas of public land are being designated, which is very welcome. There may be scientific, environmental and other considerations that mean that some other lands also need to be designated. I will not go into some of the social considerations, of which I am very aware. The Minister of State will be aware that I have tabled a number of amendments on issues like fuel poverty and turbary rights, which I absolutely respect. However, this particular amendment is concerned with the kind of standards we apply to designation or de-designation. I ask the Minister of State to clarify his thoughts on section 16(6) of the 2000 Act and the application of that to designation but not to de-designation. I appreciate the Minister of State's engagement on these matters.