Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Planning permission has held up many projects on account of various issues. Nearly 40 years ago the Naas dual carriageway was held up because of a snail. A wind farm near where I live was held up because of objections to the planning permission due to concerns that the red grouse would become extinct. Objections to a bridge over the River Moy on the grounds of the freshwater pearl mussel caused a road connecting Ballina and Castlebar to be held up for years. In the case of the wind farm where the red grouse was the problem, that wind farm went ahead. The red grouse nest under the wind turbines. Some sort of investigation, survey or report should be carried out in regard to the displacement of those species to see what has happened. Have they come back because of infrastructure taking place? Have those species that were supposed to be displaced come back? I have asked for this on numerous occasions and have never got a response from any Department. I believe they come back. The freshwater pearl mussel is found in nearly every river now and many projects were held up over it.As I said, the red grouse has come back under the windmills when it was thought to have been displaced. I am sure there are many other examples. This is the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It is important for an independent report to be carried out on all of those areas.