Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have argued before that farmers would appreciate Natura and protected areas if they are compensated as they were under the rural environment protection scheme, REPS. As the Minister of State will know, there are excellent schemes that are targeted at geographical areas such as Burren Life, Aran Life and the hen harrier project. These schemes provide financial support and compensation for targeted works and measures.

REPS has taught farmers the value of stone walls and hedgerows. Thankfully, we have many thousands of kilometres of hedgerows but they were not taken into account for the carbon storage value because more research was needed on what value to place on them. Therefore, it is important that we get a value.The impact of large-scale farming and tillage farming has seen the loss of some hedgerows and stone walls. As well as being habitats and ecosystems, they have practical benefits for farmers, whether in terms of controlling grazing or for shelter, and we must also acknowledge their historical values as townland or barony boundaries.

Planting of new hedgerows and the maintenance and protection of stone walls have been the cornerstone of previous REP schemes. Stone walls are features of the Aran Islands, for example, and many parts of the west coast. They are a unique part of the landscape. It has always seemed strange to me that many of the larger farmers in some parts of the country that have lower levels of habitat, whether it be hedgerows, scrubland or whatever else, would end up with higher payments than those who had many habitats and ecosystems under the single farm payment system. That could be looked at as well.

More could also be done in regard to trees. Each farm should have at least one grove of trees in conjunction, where possible, with neighbours, both as shelter for nesting birds and as corridors for mammals. That would all be beneficial. I am in favour of having planting events on farms where generations of the family come together, such as grandparents, parents and grandchildren. It would be a positive experience for a young child of between five and eight to remember planting a tree with their grandfather or planting a grove of trees with their parents, and when they are in their 70s and 80s, they would be able to do the same, or at least to remember it.

I mentioned the riparian zones and the importance of encouraging the planting of individual trees in hedgerows as part of schemes. Flooding, as we know, is natural. Climate change may make it more common or more sudden and result in greater volumes. Drainage schemes in the past were part of the solution to provide more farmland and there were and still are impacts downstream. Only with the agreement and compensation of farmers can some floodplains be recreated upstream from major cities or towns where there is a flood problem.

Reference was made to the re-wetting of bogs. We saw events in Clifden in September, and while we cannot say what the exact cause was, we must examine what solutions can be found. The Office of Public Works, OPW, is looking at solutions. Are there solutions upstream in terms of water storage on the bog areas? We have seen changes to the practice of clear-felling of trees, which is welcome. That is an issue that was highlighted in the early to mid-2000s in Galway when concerns were raised about eutrophication on Lough Corrib caused by sewerage works, septic tanks, coniferous plantation run-off and farming. It is debatable which order those causes would be put in but there has been much progress as well and improvements to all of those areas. As other speakers have said, knowledge and education in farming as well as investment has been most beneficial. In the 1980s there were many cases of silage effluent run-off causing pollution and fish kills and, thankfully, we no longer see that nowadays.

The first time I spoke in the Lower House in 2011 it was about invasive species, which is an area I like to speak about. Lagarosiphon major, African pondweed, is being maintained and controlled on Lough Corrib now but it was a problem. Rhododendron has been mentioned by other speakers. Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam are also invasive species that add to the challenges we face.

There is an onus and requirement on us to protect bogs, yet we must recognise the need for some to cut turf. Rather than taking a confrontational approach, which occurred in the past, the best approach is the reduce the need for the cutting of turf by means of the schemes we have for the insulation and retrofitting of homes. I took the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill on behalf of the then Minister, Deputy Madigan, in this House. It focused on looking at State-owned lands in regard to raised bogs. Many farmers were aggrieved because they felt that the small guy was being stopped and yet the big guys such as Bord na Móna and the State were being left untouched. There is recognition of that as well.