Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding section 59D, I assure the Senator that the Minister is fully intent on public consultation. The wording is legalese, but it is fully envisaged that there full be full consultation on all plans and strategies done within the Department. The amendment contains a full list of the public bodies and includes a planning authority within the meaning of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The amendment states, "The Minister may, for the purposes of this Part, prescribe a body, other person, company, organisation or group ... to be a public body where the Minister is of the opinion that the body, other person, company, organisation or group has functions that have or may have a bearing on matters concerning biodiversity or is in a position to promote the conservation of biodiversity." That is positive and if additional bodies, companies or individuals are not listed there, they can be designated by the Minister.

The legislation requires public bodies to report to the Minister specifying the measures adopted and any progress being made. It will require local authorities to plan ahead better in terms of managing nature in order that they might prevent actions such as those which occurred in Tallaght through better planning. The duty will also require publication of the new biodiversity plan which is unlikely to be done before 2022. We will work to bring that forward if possible. We have in place an excellent biodiversity plan up to 2021. If it can be resourced, full implementation by all sectors will substantially address the threats to nature as set out by the Senators. As I told the House before, in past the State actively promoted the removal of biodiversity through the promotion of agriculture. There were grants to drain wetlands or remove hedgerows or walls. We have done an about turn on that. Through our membership of the European Union and so on, we recognise that we have a responsibility to protect and enhance biodiversity on our farms. Ever since the introduction of environmental programmes in the early 1990s, such as the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, and other schemes, it has been about recognising biodiversity and enhancing it, ensuring that we plant more trees and hedgerows, maintain landscape features such as stone walls and hedges which are a requirement under all the farm payments. Satellite technology means that they know if anything is interfered with so there is an onus on farmers and landowners to ensure that biodiversity is enhanced. The reviews of bogs is about designating those which are worst impacted and unlikely to be rehabilitated while allowing for the designation of other areas to enhance the overall area of habitat in the State, with particular reference to State lands.