Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Designation is not just as important as dedesignation, designation is more important if we are to in any way address both the ecological collapse that we are facing, on which we have seen endless reports and endless evidence, and environmental and ecological damage that has been done in Ireland and on a wider scale and also with our climate change and carbon targets. We need both feet moving forward. That is my concern, not the question of designation mentioned by the Minister of State. I welcome the designation of new bogs. My question is on dedesignation. I do not believe we can afford to take steps backwards, and if we are taking such steps backwards they need to be taken very carefully.

From what the Minister of State has mentioned in his speech, I hope he intends to accept my amendment No. 8, which is coming up shortly. That would help. The Minister of State mentioned public consultation, environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment. That is exactly the language in my amendment No. 8, but it is not in the Bill. The strategic assessment and all of those wonderful things we are supposedly going to do before we go near our blanket bogs are not there.That is not in the Bill. One can go right ahead and de-designate a bog simply based on criteria one sets out later which, as we will see, do not include any of those things. The Minister of State talks about the credibility of these processes and what will happen, particularly with blanket bogs, but there has been no public consultation to answer the key concerns. We could talk about blanket bogs and levels of difference and dangers in terms of subsidence and all of the rest compared with raised bogs, but the key difference is that there was a public consultation and environmental review in the case of raised bogs. There was a national discussion in that regard. I have no doubt that there have been discussions and possibly extensive lobbying on the blanket bogs issue by those who would like to see certain blanket bogs, especially in their own areas, de-designated. That is not the same as an environmental impact assessment or a formal public consultation which allows for all of the experts and stakeholders, which includes everyone on this issue, to have their say and provide an input. It is unfortunate that the Bill does not provide for public consultation or environmental review at this point. Again, I regret that the opportunity is not being taken at this point at least to narrow the focus of the Bill to something more manageable.

I cannot speak about all of the terrible consequences that may come from de-designation of blanket bogs because we have not done the reviews and the data and research are not there. I am sure I will have the opportunity in years to come to speak about the damage the ecological devastation that has been done through de-designation, but I do not feel I will take any satisfaction in that.

I hope the Minister of State will accept amendment No. 8 when we come to it, as his speech seemed to suggest he might. I am sorry that he and I are not in agreement on amendment No. 1.