Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a concern. We have gone full circle here. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were grants to drain land, clear scrub and improve matters. We have now gone full circle and it is difficult. Rewetting is a matter of particular concern because if one landowner were to close off drains for rewetting, it would have a knock-on effect on waters upstream. This cannot be done piecemeal. It has to be done as part of a plan. There needs to be an initial focus on State-owned land. I was at a presentation in Recess in Connemara recently. Coillte is engaging with environmental groups to remove an area of coniferous plantation that has not done well and to rewet the area. That is State-owned land and it will not impact on other people. We can look at some of the Bord na Móna lands as well. That is the way to go initially before we look at impacting on privately owned lands.

Senator Boyhan welcomed the plans in Dún Laoghaire. It is good to see a public representative doing that. He called on the Government to put the shoulder to the wheel. This is a very difficult issue. As the Senator will know, I went through it in a previous life, in 2019. As I have said before, this is something that will be dealt with by whomever is in these seats in five, ten, 15, 20, 30, 40 or 50 years' time.The issue of migration - which is impacted by global warming and everything that goes with it, such as food shortages in certain parts of the world - will be one that Europe and countries such as Ireland will have to deal with.

There are debates regarding communication with locals. Such communication is always beneficial. The issue is how much engagement to have and what the impact of it would be. We have seen situations in other parts of the country where protests can be preplanned and infiltrated by those. That is not to dismiss the legitimate concerns that local people have but there is a balance. The majority of Irish people are understanding and supportive. However, this is an issue of concern in certain parts of the country. There is no easy solution. I have not heard anyone come up with an easy solution regarding matching our international obligations with the concerns of local people. It is a difficult situation. The Government is doing as well as it can in facing up to the challenges. There was enough of a challenge prior to 2022 and the illegal invasion of Ukraine, but that has exacerbated the problem and the accommodation shortage for those seeking protection. I am sure we will discuss that matter again in the House and we will ask the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman. It is a difficult situation for Government, politicians and local communities to deal with and it will be with us for years to come.