Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I, too, raise the fact that this is national biodiversity week. It is a real chance for us all to see nature and appreciate the importance and richness of our biodiversity. The hawthorn tree, for example, which is so common in Ireland, supports more than 200 species and insects. This is absolutely critical and crucial to protecting our environment and biodiversity.

I call for a debate on how we will protect and support our native biodiversity and protect our uplands. We need a proper upland management plan. We have seen the burning of uplands in recent times, which is a symptom of the failure to adequately manage our uplands in the past couple of years. Controlled burning is controversial but it was done for a reason. Bracken and gorse catch fire and will ignite with the smallest spark. We need an upland management scheme to look after and take out invasive species and encourage our native biodiversity to thrive and survive.It is really important to appreciate what our uplands and native biodiversity give us because they give us much beauty and do much for our mental health when we stop and appreciate nature around us.