Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response . I agree with him. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should play a greater role in this. The Irish Farmers Association, IFA, has taken this onboard in Tipperary. We have very good members in the gun club, including Pat O'Sullivan, who I mentioned earlier, Robert Phelan and Brendan McGill. There are almost 100 members and they do incredible and fantastic work. If a body is set up, perhaps the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine would take a role. The amendment of 2000 was on the back of research done which showed that birds were nesting earlier than before, and that was why the date was put back. There is certainly a strong argument being made by the group and the IFA that birds nesting in 2022 are nesting later than they did in 2000. That should be looked at as part of the review to see if that is the case. If it is the case, perhaps something could be done on the back of it.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I agree with and would be supportive of the setting up of such a forum. I know the ABGN Gun Club would support that as well, because its members are best placed compared with anyone else to look after that land. They know it well and they love it.