Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the issue around peatlands discussed in relation to amendment No. 25, the Minister of State said birch are found on peatlands and can provide biodiversity, but birch is a pioneer species which self-seeds or is carried in by birds. It is generally scrub. My understanding is that we are exempting the planting of any trees on the native tree species list. Is that correct? That is where our concern is. It is not what would happen in terms of natural rewilding or building up of scrub but the deliberate planting of any trees on that list on peatland.

The Minister of State's assurance was that birch grows on peatland but it is a pioneer species so it generally comes in, self-seeds and forms scrub. We are trying to protect against the deliberate planting of trees listed as native tree species on peatland. It is not restricted to birch.