Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)

It will not come as any surprise to hear me talking about this Commencement matter. Coming from south Kildare, it is a topic that is very close to my heart. The military and defence family are very much part of the whole social, economic and professional fabric of Kildare and right around the country. Over the years, we have seen a lack of investment in our Defence Forces and we have a recruitment and retention problem, or challenge, I should say. It is really important that Government invests in recruitment and retention and in supporting the military families and the Defence Forces. Thanks to our present Taoiseach and outgoing Tánaiste, a really big commitment was ensured in both the Fianna Fáil manifesto and, subsequently, the programme for Government.

Part of the recommendations made by the commission, which were also accepted, related to the preservation and management of the Curragh Plains.I appreciate that the Minister of State is here to take this Commencement matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Simon Harris. We are all familiar with the Curragh, whether we are from Kildare or not. Many of us pass it regularly. It has an incredible history in terms of heritage and archaeology and it has very strong links with the racing industry, the defence industry and the sheep industry. Also, the flora and fauna there are quite unique to the whole area. However, there have been ongoing problems as regards the preservation and conservation of the Curragh Plains, not least of which are illegal encampments and waste management. Thankfully, this summer was not anywhere near as bad as previous summers. To be fair, those within the Department of Defence who have responsibility have acted quite quickly. A new regime is in place but the problem is not going away. The response needs to be stronger and better.

It is stated in the programme for Government that the Government will:

Implement a Conservation Plan for the Curragh, establishing a management plan to ensure its preservation, with careful consideration of which agency is best suited to manage this historic landscape.

To the best of my knowledge, that recommendation has not been implemented yet. Informal conversations suggest the National Parks and Wildlife Service as being best suited and I certainly think it would be a really good fit. This important element of the programme for Government reflects a growing concern right across the country about environmental degradation and the need for structured oversight of the Curragh. As well as being a protected national heritage site, the Curragh is obviously a military training ground. The conservation management plan was approved by Micheál Martin in late 2024. It is awaiting full implementation. We need to see that. We need to have decisions made on agency oversight. The main question I put to the Minister of State today is about this agency oversight and the funding and legislation that need to be put in place. We need to have a timely timeframe for this.