Seanad debates

Wednesday, 6 November 2019

Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage

 

10:30 am

Photo of Lynn RuaneLynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 45 sets out how the extraction of peat from bog habitats that lose designation under this Act will be regulated. This will include limits on the type of machinery allowed, the quantity of peat that can be extracted every year and a limit on the commercial extraction of peat without prejudice to turbary rights.

Amendment No. 46 is a slight variation allowing for consultation with relevant bodies without specifically mentioning the EPA. I urge the Minister of State to engage with any initiatives looking at turbary rights from an intergenerational perspective and to ensure that the rights currently enjoyed are preserved for people in the future. This is an important aspect of intergenerational justice as it concerns heritage and tradition. We must not allow commercial extraction to take place under the guise of turbary rights at the expense of younger generations. I, therefore, urge the Minister of State consider these amendments and to accept one of them if possible.

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