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

I thank the Senators for putting forward this amendment. Government amendment No. 11 provides that the purposes of a review of natural heritage areas would take into account the "carbon sequestration potential of bog habitats and to actions, relevant to bog habitats, contained in a national plan or, as the case may be, plan for the island of Ireland for the time being concerning the reversal of pollinator decline".I am conscious of the benefits of the restoration of peatlands for Ireland's commitments under international climate change ,targets and I am aware that functioning peatlands capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the form of peat and vegetation. The natural restoration programme for Ireland's raised bogs special areas of conservation, SACs, and raised bog natural heritage areas, NHAs, is contained within the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022, and this links with the peatland actions contained in the Government's Climate Action Plan 2019.

Restoration measures on raised bogs involve the insertion of peat or plastic dams to block surface water drains to restore more natural physical conditions and the rewetting of the bog to raise water levels close to the bog's surface to restore peat-forming conditions. Restoration measures may also include tree felling and scrub clearance. Site-specific conservation objectives have been published for the 53 raised bog special areas of conservation restoration plans drafted for all sites and to be developed further in partnership with stakeholders, including landowners and local communities. Site-specific restoration plans for the raised bog natural heritage areas are also being developed by the Department.

The Government already addresses the concerns of the Senator, so I will not be accepting her amendment.