Malcolm Noonan
Agricultural Panel · Green Party · Ireland
“Before I invite Senator Stephenson back in, I welcome members of the Young Entrepreneurs Club to the Gallery. They are guests of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Cuirim fáilte romhaibh go léir.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I again commend Senator Black, who has been campaigning on this issue for a very long time. It is disappointing that we are here this evening without services included despite the very detailed recommendations of the Oireachtas joint committee, the views of many legal experts and the clear legal opinion of the…”
“I am surprised that the Government is presenting us with a Bill that excludes services. The Government used to tell us that it was for legal reasons.”
“In fairness, it has become even clearer from the remarks made by the Government in recent days that fear of the Trump Administration is driving the decision, with illogical arguments that the Trump Administration might just tolerate a Bill that bans goods but if were to bring forward a Bill that covered goods and services, it would someho…”
“I join with my colleagues in our outright condemnation of this approach by the Government in relation to this legislation. The Government is going to be the lead negotiator on behalf of the European Union at both the climate Conference of the Parties, COP, and the biodiversity COP later this year.”
“The rural housing policy was launched last week. We have had the closure of the public consultation on the nature restoration plan. Lo and behold, the long-awaited phase 2 of the land-use review was published two days after both of those policies. This document has huge implications for land use in Ireland.”
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“It is hugely important, because that is revenue that is generated within the State, in that the State puts it forward, and it stays in the State within small and medium-sized enterprises in Ireland. On the issue of green procurement, I did not hear the Minister of State’s opening statement, but this issue is critically important. I recall back in 2006 or 2007 trying to get low-carbon cement brought into local authorities as a default for public projects, and it was so onerous and difficult. I welcome the fact the Government is moving on green public procurement, ensuring embodied carbon is looked at, and ensuring FSC-certified timber and ethically produced and sourced timber are going to be a central part of this policy Government is bringing forward.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. This probably is the first time we have had her with us formally so I wish her the best in her work ahead. The OPW gave a tour of the biodiversity of Leinster House this afternoon, which is why I was late to this debate, so I apologise for that. It is the International Day for Biological Diversity. I will make points on that. Before that, regarding points that have been well made by other Senators about the purchasing power of the State and how important it is that small local companies can have access, I note with interest reports from RTÉ on the purchase of make-up - it is probably an annual story for RTÉ - and Elizabeth Arden being bought from Amazon and big multinational companies. Small Irish companies should have an opportunity to bid for those contracts.”
“I move: Bill entitled an Act to provide for identification, management, restoration and bringing back to use of derelict buildings and to simplify and expedite applications to refurbish or change the use of upper floors or ‘over the shop’ for residential use by establishing in each local authority a special planning and building control approval system to be called a Town Centre First application process.”
“It is high time collectively that this Dáil and Seanad continue to highlight these atrocities until they are brought to an end and we can seek justice for the Palestinian people and the people of Gaza.”
“I welcome that we are having a discussion on this. Every democratic chamber in the world should debate this until pressure is brought to bare on the barbaric regime of Netanyahu and eventually, please God, it will fold. In the meantime, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the hour. Aid agencies, such as UNRWA, and all of the United Nations have told us, keep telling us and are pleading for the international community to intervene at a level that is appropriate. At this stage, we require international governments. We require the European Union. Thankfully, some action and movement is coming from some countries. I welcome the intervention by the Taoiseach. I really welcome the bravery of our President for stretching the boundaries of his office to call out this atrocity.”
“I seek leave to amend the Order of Business to have No. 9 taken before No. 1 to introduce the cross-party Bill on dereliction and building management. Ibrahim Ammar Saad Al-Qara, Karam Amjad Hafez Shamlakh, Rafif Mahmoud Aref Al-Faqaawi, Al-Anoud Suleiman Jaber Al-Qirinaawi and Hour Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Mamlouk are just five names of infants who never reached the age of one. I thank Senator Stephenson for providing us with this list. It is important to put names to the statistics because the statistics can numb us and nullify the debate. Across various platforms, we are sick of hearing the figures but these are names of babies whose lives will never be realised. They have either been bombed or starved to death by the IDF or the Israeli Government. It is an absolute atrocity that is happening before us all.”
“Fáilte to the students from Buncrana. They are very welcome to the Public Gallery. I hope they enjoy their day here in Leinster House. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The second Commencement matter is from Senators Scahill and Boyle.”
“That is our global economic system and financial flows from countries like Ireland into polluting industries and fossil fuels. This is a bigger picture for all of us. It is important that as a Government we must lead on that. I thank the Irish Environmental Network. I want people to go out and enjoy nature in their locality because it is everywhere, as Senator Fitzpatrick said. Even here in Dublin city centre amazing work is being done. Let us go out and enjoy it. People should go out and enjoy biodiversity week. They should go out and appreciate it and when they have done that, they should lobby their politicians to ensure we increase the spending and continue to invest in nature and our wonderful National Parks and Wildlife Service.”
“That is going to be a very important piece of work that is being led by Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and the team in the NPWS. I look forward to seeing that emerge. There is one critical issue I have to raise. My colleague spoke about the drivers of biodiversity loss. We are looking at real concerns about EU funding and where it is going to go. Is it going to go to environmental schemes like the LIFE projects or is it going to be siphoned off for defence spending? The Government has to play an important role in shaping that conversation and to then look separately at the big driver of biodiversity losses. Yes, we can have headstarting programmes and perimeter and predator proof fences to protect lapwing and other species but we are really at nothing unless we tackle the root cause of this, which is economic growth.”
“The critical issue has been the shift in the relationship between the NPWS and particularly landowners and farmers over the past number of years. It is now a much more collaborative approach. We have farm plan schemes and good schemes there such as EIPs and LIFE projects that farmers want to be actively involved in. Before they were being told by the EU to follow a certain method of production and now this is a whole changed approach. Farmers are embracing biodiversity. There has to be money attached to that. Some people call that compensation but it is not. It is about getting paid properly for ecosystem services, water quality and restoring nature on their land. That brings us to the next big project that we have to do collectively as a country, which is the new national nature restoration plan.”
“I saw an incredibly dedicated group of people who finally had been given the resources to do all of the stuff that they wanted to do for decades. Some of these people were 20 to 30 years in the NPWS and never had those resources to lead on the headstarting programmes for curlews, the grey partridge project, the natterjack toad and the reintroduction of species. All of these projects have been hugely important. It is also about the tracks and trials in our national parks and nature reserves. We now have two new national parks. We could and should have more. We also have more nature reserves. The NPWS has purchased quite a lot of land over the past number of years and all of that will be put to good use for nature.”
“The Government was leading on what communities had asked us to do and what farmers had been asking us to do. That is where we took that lead and initiative from. I pay tribute to the leaders on that over the past number of years, such as the NPWS. It is an incredible organisation. It has incredibly dedicated public servants. Some of them will be watching our debate this afternoon. I travelled the country and visited every county in my little grey partridge, as I called her. It was incredible to see the work they were doing, from general operatives in our national parks to the park rangers to the district conservation officers to all of the scientific staff right up to the top level, headed by Niall O'Donoghue and his team.”
“That is an innovative project doing fantastic work with farmers and local communities in trying to keep important species on our landscape. I am looking forward to that. I pay tribute to the Irish farm network, National Parks and Wildlife Service and everybody involved in biodiversity week. I think back to taking over the ministerial role in 2020 and examining the context of it. We were in the depths of a global pandemic and nature became a great consolation to all of us. We found in our 2 km and 5 km walks that we started noticing nature. Perhaps because things were becoming more silent, we could hear the birds singing and we could notice the sights and sounds of nature more. It did spark a reawakening in all of our collective consciousness of the need, importance and significance of restoring nature. I welcome that.”
“I extend my sympathies to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on the passing of his sister Anne. I am delighted with his appointment. He has the same grá for this post as I did. I thank the Members for their kind comments on my small role over the past couple of years in stopping the rot. We had a poor track record up to that. I thank the Taoiseach because he gave me great support during my time in office and I had cross-party support as well. I will start National Biodiversity Week on Friday on Lough Ree with Owen Murphy and the fantastic team with the Breeding Waders European innovation partnership, EIP. It is a fantastic project. Senator Murphy spoke about the loss of many of our breeding wading birds and our ground-nesting birds.”
“Where are we going with this, unless we have consistency of application with all local authorities? Some 95% of those tests took place in four counties - Mayo, Limerick, Kerry and Wexford. There is a problem here and it needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The free well water testing would give householders either the confidence or the information they need to address the issues. Grants are available in the priority areas for action, which are the high status objective catchments. The national inspection plan needs to be ramped up and the Government and particularly the Minister for local government, needs to take in the local authorities and ensure the inspection regime is brought up to a standard where we know where the problem is and we can start to fix it. It is a huge risk to public health and to the aquatic environment.”
“The implications of that are immense for human health because people are drinking water from sunken wells, and also for the receiving environment and vulnerable water bodies across the country. We really need to get to grips with this once and for all. It needs to happen at Government level and at local authority level. There needs to be consistency of application in the inspection regime. I call on the Government to give consideration to free well water testing for all rural households, which is another important issue. A lot of families do not know what is coming out of their taps. They do not know what issues are there and there is E. coli contamination. We are facing a real public health risk here. The report is pretty damning and there has been little or no progress since the inspection regime started in 2013.”
“I reiterate the call I made yesterday regarding the occupied territories Bill. Every nation and state must play a part. My party leader confirmed at the weekend there is no impediment to the existing Bill and it needs to be brought forward as a matter of urgency. We need to put every pressure on the Israeli Government over the atrocities it is carrying out in Gaza. This morning, I wish to raise a pretty damning Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, report on septic tank inspections across the country. First, there is an inconsistency of application, and of inspection and enforcement regimes where, of the very small number of septic tanks - 1,390 - inspected, 56% of them failed.”
“I welcome to the Visitors Gallery pupils and teachers of Ballycanew National School in Gorey, County Wexford. I hope they enjoy their visit to the Dáil and Seanad here today. They live in a beautiful part of the country and I hope they enjoy the sunshine down there over the weekend.”
“We do not have enough of these activities in this country. We have heard from many youth organisations that they are underfunded. It is also about having safe spaces for young people to go to alcohol-free gigs, for instance, and to be able to enjoy alcohol-free spaces in our towns, villages and cities. We see the sale of alcohol Bill that is being pushed through and the alcohol industry trying to extend licensing hours. What we actually need is the opposite. We need spaces for young people to congregate where they feel safe and are free from the impact of alcohol. I wish the national network of No Name Clubs all the best with its celebration this weekend. Perhaps we could invite it in here at some stage to celebrate the work it does.”
“This again, and it can never be raised enough, highlights the need to enact the occupied territories Bill and for the Irish Government and State to continue to raise its voice. That is one thing that was said to us clearly by the medical workers and other workers on the ground in hospitals in Gaza, who are working in such horrendous conditions. Dr. Mike Ryan said we are all complicit if we do not do so. I cannot highlight this enough. On a more positive note, the national network of No Name Clubs will gather in Tullamore, County Offaly, for its annual awards ceremony this weekend. My son, Colm, is a volunteer leader with the organisation. It is a wonderful organisation that probably does not get enough credit for the work it does with young people in providing safe, alcohol-free venues and outlets for activities for young people.”
“On behalf of the Green Party, I want to be associated with the expressions of sympathy for Garda Kevin Flatley. I extend my sympathies to his family, colleagues and friends. Earlier today, some of us attended a packed briefing in the audiovisual room, held by Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine. We sat through one of the most harrowing presentations I have ever seen in these Houses. The figures are quite staggering. A total of 300,000 children are malnourished, of whom 3,000 are acutely malnourished. There are many child amputees. There is huge psychological trauma on children. UNICEF has called this a war on children. Deep psychological scars are left, not to mention the physical injuries these children are suffering. We pay tribute, obviously, to the medical workers who are working on the ground in absolutely deplorable conditions.”
“I note the points the Minister of State made about defence spending and it is of concern to many people, to NGOs and to the wider sector that LIFE programme funding and CAP funding will be cut at the expense of defence spending. It is critically important the Government engages with civil society and sees it as an opportunity to engage with civil society in a positive way on how the next MFF is framed.”
“In his remarks the Minister of State said that the Department states that the MFF should reflect the needs of Irish citizens, yet there has not been sufficient engagement. A poll from European Movement Ireland that was released today should be of interest to all Members and it looks at falling trust in European institutions and in the EU generally. It is a slow feed but it is of concern. What better way to restore trust in European institutions than by having public engagement in one of the most significant things it does, which is its budget and the MFF? My message to the Minister and the Government generally is that there needs to be civil society engagement on this issue.”
“In every statement I made as Minister of State to help get the nature restoration law over the line, I stated clearly that there needed to be EU money on the table for implementation. The MFF is that money and it will be agreed on the watch of the Irish Presidency next year. Let us work together to ensure that it is a fund that benefits citizens, communities, farmers, fishers, foresters and vulnerable people caught in conflict and the ravages of climate change and not weapons manufacturers which are already enjoying record dividends for shareholders on the back of human suffering. How we shape influence and negotiate the next MFF could well be an enduring and defining legacy of Ireland's next EU Presidency.”
“If CAP, environmental supports and humanitarian funding are to be reduced, how will the Government propose to fill the gap to support rural communities and measures that Irish farmers are implementing on ecosystem services to support local authorities and other State bodies to deliver on climate and nature actions? The Government should lead on a national conversation on the MFF. A figure of €1.12 billion sounds like a an eye-watering amount of money, but it is a drop in the ocean if siphoned off for weapons, missiles and fighter jets. Facilitating a public participation process, inviting submissions and engaging with key stakeholders are vital in advance of the next round of negotiations.”
“It may also impact negatively on humanitarian programmes at a time when many member states are cutting international aid budgets. In Ireland, it could mean a reduction in Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, funding. The Commission closed public consultation on the MFF on Tuesday of this week. It was a poorly communicated process, which was cumbersome and complex, and largely excluded citizens and civil society from meaningful public participation. How many groups or organisations were aware that it was even open? In that context, what has the European Commission representation in Ireland done to promote civil society engagement in this process? How is the Government going to ensure that Irish voices, including those of rural communities, family farmers and NGOs, are heard and used to help to shape Ireland's position on the MFF?”
“Brendan Dunford was very critical that the results-based payment scheme developed by the project, which mainstreamed into the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, is now no more. We negotiated with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael a €3.515 billion climate and nature fund, a capital fund that could extend and embed measures for nature, water and climate. We have yet to see the publication of the detail of that fund from the Government. My hope is that it will not be raided to shore up deficits in Uisce Eireann's capital programme. Equally, I am concerned by the soundings coming from civil society that the MFF will be raided to ramp up defence and security spending across the EU at the expense of environmental measures, LIFE projects and climate initiatives.”
“It is vital that we build on the good progress made in recent years towards decarbonisation, including working with farmers, in particular, on water quality and nature restoration and efforts to scale up such work from pilots to the mainstream. I launched a number of LIFE projects, European Innovation Partnership, EIP, projects and other short-term initiatives, typically projects over a five- to seven-year cycle, during my time as a Minister of State. At every event, landowners told me they loved participating in schemes they saw tangible results from and, critically, got paid for. However, it is frustrating that there was no afterlife to such projects. Learning outputs and results were compiled and a project, with all of its expertise, then fell away. Burren LIFE was probably the most high-profile of these types of projects.”
“In the context of the challenges around meeting climate targets from every sector under our national climate action plan, the ongoing work around the development of a national nature restoration plan in line with the nature restoration regulation and the development of a coherent network of marine protected areas around the Irish coast, as well as many other opportunities for Ireland in socioeconomic development, will the Minister of State outline to the House the Government's engagement on negotiations around the shaping of the next EU multi-annual financial framework, MFF, covering the period 2028 to 2035? With a proposed budget of €1.2 trillion, the MFF represents an incredible opportunity for Ireland and all member states to make progress towards a zero carbon, nature resilient and durable future for all of our citizens.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as teacht chuig an Teach ar maidin. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis. As this is my first formal engagement with the Minister of State, I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the best for his tenure.”
“All such measures could have a positive impact on our water quality as we move to implement the water action plan and try to get our water quality to a good status. I again urge the Department of agriculture to look at this research. I ask the Minister, in particular, to take on board the outputs of the research. Fantastic work is also going on in Teagasc, which is now employing officers across the country to work on a catchment-by-catchment basis. There is a great opportunity here that needs to be seized by the Government. We must support farmers to do the right thing through applying the right measure in the right place.”
“The National Parks and Wildlife Service had a fantastic farm plan scheme, which should be rolled out on a much grander scale. Greater flexibility is required to allow wider participation and innovation in these schemes for the dairy sector. There are significant challenges in that sector. Good work is going on across the country. I pay tribute to Bryan and Gail Daniels in Kilmoganny in County Kilkenny. They have recently become Farming for Nature ambassadors. They do incredible work on their farm, and have been for many years. They mix clover into the grass mix and have riparian zones, etc. Some of these simple measures can have a positive impact, farm by farm. Those measures include cutting off drinking water sources and putting in point sources from which animals can drink.”
“I raise the issue of water quality and research from Teagasc and the University of Galway under the WaterMARKE programme, which is looking at water quality measures that farmers are implementing. It is largely beef and sheep farmers getting involved in schemes because many farmers in the dairy sector find that participating in schemes presents onerous challenges as regards the hassle and training involved and the loss of productive land. Very clear findings are emerging from this research. These look at the next CAP strategic plan and the redesign of the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, which many farmers are fed up with. Professor Cathal O’Donoghue from the University of Galway made comments on making system-wide efforts to embed a much more holistic, farm-by-farm approach.”
“I welcome the interventions made yesterday by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste relating to the acts of terror being carried out by the Israeli state and Israel Defense Forces. Calling those acts a war crime is calling them what they are. We all absolutely deplore the holding back of food aid and destroying of the means of producing food - bakeries, fishing boats and greenhouses. This is the ultimate cruelty. More European countries, as well as the international community, need to step up, in particular the US, and intervene in what is fast becoming a humanitarian tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Israel, including through its bombing of Yemen, is now acting as a rogue state. That is very important. Again, I welcome the intervention by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste yesterday.”
“In terms of housing, the NPF sets a target of 50,000 homes per year, falling short of the 60,000 recommended by the Housing Commission. It does not include binding housing delivery mechanisms or legal accountability for meeting targets. It lacks binding targets for social and affordable housing, despite the clear and growing need we are all aware of in the House. Planning remains too loosely aligned with employment centres and essential services and risks disconnects between housing location and community need. For those of us Senators based in rural Ireland, we see the NPF as business as usual in terms of lopsided development. I will support it, but I will also support the amendment put forward by my colleague.”
“The NPF does not specifically mention LNG projects but it places a stronger focus on renewable energy development, highlighting the need for the accelerated delivery of renewable energy generation to meet climate targets and the Government's national hydrogen strategy. I want to make a specific point on Uisce Éireann and water supply, and the midlands and eastern water supply project, which is referred to as the Shannon pipeline. That project will suck up all of the resources of Uisce Éireann. It will take ten years to complete and I do not think it is feasible. Where is the balanced regional development? We will continue to facilitate the expansion of Dublin through projects like this. I have significant concerns about that.”
“I believe that approach is central to reducing private car use, lowering transport emissions and improving accessibility to jobs, schools and services. The requirement that 40% of new houses nationally would be within existing footprints is important. The Minister of State's colleague mentioned town centres first in terms of heritage regeneration. How does this square with a business as usual approach to rural housing? The NPF supports the development of offshore renewable infrastructure, including wind farms, and places an emphasis on onshore generation. It reinforces policies and supports vibrant rural towns and villages and investment in local infrastructure.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will focus on some of the positives in terms of green initiatives in the NPF. I refer to the stronger focus on compact low-carbon growth, helping to reduce car dependency emissions, the formal integration of environmental assessments, including SEA and appropriate assessment, the national policy objectives aimed at supporting biodiversity protection, commitments on a new national nature restoration plan, which I know the Minister of State is leading on, policies of no net loss for biodiversity - it should be a net positive for nature - supporting green belts, urban green belts and blue spaces, commitments in alignment with the climate action plan and the biodiversity duty under the national biodiversity action plan. Commitments on transport orientated development are hugely welcome.”
“I urge the Minister of State to visit the fantastic team at Hometree, who have done fantastic work on local nurseries and growing native stock. Marina Conway from Enniscrone in Sligo is doing fantastic work in championing agroforestry as well. If the Minister of State gets an opportunity to visit Hometree, he will see the innovative work being done there. I know he is very active and is great for visiting places, but he should, during his tenure, visit them. I wish him all the very best in his tenure.”
“It is our native tree and it is hugely valuable from a cultural and biodiversity perspective. Those of us from hurling counties appreciate its value more than anyone. We should look more towards research. I think there is hope for ash trees. We should put more into research to try to manage the problem. Regarding the point that was made about cutting down roadside trees, it should be about resourcing local authorities to better manage roadside trees. That could be about doing assessments about pruning and reducing them rather than removing them completely. I see widespread removal of trees from the countryside. I mention this in terms of research on fire blight as well. I welcome the work that is being done.”
“The issue of biosecurity was referred to by a number of Members. I stress the importance of local nurseries for indigenous planting of native trees and native stock. I did some contracting work for Coillte many years ago, harvesting native tree seeds, from ash, spindle and other species, around the country. It was most enjoyable going out in the autumn to harvest seeds and bringing them to Coillte to have them brought on. Part of our solution in biosecurity should involve our indigenous stock and local provenance. That is something we should look at in ash dieback and some of the research being done, particularly in the UK, where they are leaving standing ash trees in local areas to see if there is a resilience to ash dieback. We should give consideration to this here.”
“The senior Minister, Deputy Heydon, basically said there was nothing to see here, that Coillte would embed its work on biodiversity into its main strategic operations. I do not see how that is possible. Coillte Nature was doing very valuable work. It won an award in the RDS a few weeks ago for its work. It is a regressive decision by Coillte. I ask the Minister of State to take that up with Coillte in future meetings. Some of the work the National Parks and Wildlife Service has done, such as on hen harrier welfare, co-management of sites, looking at co-designing and redesigning sites for nature, and removing forest in areas where there is a nature benefit, is something that could still be developed but it needed that dedicated Coillte Nature division to carry out that work. I ask the Minister of State to give consideration to that.”
“The potential that exists to expand our native woodlands for delivering co-benefits in terms of flood mitigation, climate and nature, and water quality is critically important. Those schemes could be of huge benefit not only to the country but also to landowners who have pockets of native woodland on their land who could look at expanding those over the next number of years. I have raised on a number of occasions in the House Coillte's regrettable decision to abolish or get rid of its not-for-profit division, Coillte Nature. I have read numerous reports, most recently the Coillte Forest Estate Strategic Land Use Plan 2023 to 2050, in which Coillte Nature is given a specific role in nature restoration in its work, the Dublin Mountains makeover being an example. We are embarking on a nature restoration plan, so why was this decision made?”
“I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to agroforestry It is an important sector and perhaps even more so as we look towards reductions in the herd. There are opportunities there for landowners. I welcome the new MSc programme in agroforestry set up by the National Organic Training Skillnet. There is huge potential in this area. I welcome the Minister of State's comments on this in his opening remarks. There is potential around collective land use practices, combining trees with crops and animals. That could deliver significant ecological and economic interactions between trees and agricultural components as well as co-benefits to climate, nature and water. I welcome the Minister of State's commitment in that regard.”
“I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to the windblown forestry reconstitution scheme and to looking at the markets for windblown timber. Looking at the report of the Climate Change Advisory Council, I ask that we get certainty on the LULUCF targets as they relate to windblown timber. Are they going to be credited to Ireland? I understand we are going to fall short on targets in many sectors. Perhaps LULUCF may come very close to meeting our targets under existing strategies. Is the LULUCF target for windblown timber going to be accounted for positively in terms of our sectoral emissions? I do not expect the Minister of State to answer that today but it is important because it could be an added benefit to the State from what was an awful national tragedy.”
“We saw trees of that age that had no number-value whatsoever sliding down the mountain in a bog slide event. It stressed the urgent need to reform our forestry policy. My colleague and former Member of this House, Pippa Hackett went a long way with the forestry strategy and I hope the Minister of State will continue that trajectory. It shows the scale of the challenges we had. The really significant challenge is that a very limited amount of land in this country is suitable for commercial forestry. That is something that is being borne out in the land use review. Between storms Darragh and Éowyn we lost 26,000 ha of forestry that was flattened. Of that, 14,500 ha was on Coillte estate and 11,500 ha was private.”
“I also welcome Teresa to the Chamber. I welcome the Minister of State to this important debate. I never had the formal opportunity to wish him the best in his tenure as Minister of State. I know he will hit the ground running. Any time I have had the duty to call him on issues, he picked up the phone straight away and dealt with the issue. I do appreciate that. I know he has a busy portfolio. I am going to raise a couple of points and questions. A number of Members mentioned peat slides. One of the first tasks I had as Minister of State was to travel to Drumkeeran in County Leitrim in 2020 when the bog slide took place at Shass Mountain. Watching 25-year-old Sitka spruce, which look like Christmas trees, sliding down the mountain showed me we had really a serious problem with forestry in Ireland.”
“They have important uses in agriculture, it must be noted, and certainly in the management of invasive species, but if we have increasing levels of pesticide residues in our water supplies, it is of concern to us all. We are now looking at issues with herbicide resistance in species like Italian rye grass, and that is going to be of concern to the farming community. There is a wider regulatory regime needed for herbicides and pesticides in this country, and it is something I ask the Minister to give consideration to.”
“I am not an Arsenal fan, but it is a great achievement for her. The main issue I wish to raise is a report that came out from Uisce Éireann on pesticides and herbicides in water supplies and drinking water. There has not been a marked increase but there has been a significant increase nonetheless in pesticide residues in our water supplies. Uisce Éireann is attributing much of this to surface run-off and inappropriate use. The fact you can buy glyphosate and weed killers in supermarkets and stores is something that needs to be given consideration. There are much more stringent conditions on it in other countries or jurisdictions. Some legal restrictions on over-the-counter availability of these dangerous and harmful herbicides should be considered.”
“I wish to be associated with the comments made about Martin Groves. I wish him all the best and hope there is an opportunity to pay tribute to him at some point. On behalf of the Green Party, I join in the expressions of sympathy for the late pontiff, Pope Francis. His encyclical letter, Laudato Si ': On Care For Our Common Home, was mentioned. It was a rallying call for nature restoration and a deconstruction of our economic growth model. His embrace of the LGBTIQ community and trans people will also be notable. I listened to Colm O’Gorman this morning and, certainly, there is a mixed legacy there but it is still largely a positive legacy. I also pay tribute to Katie McCabe, our first women's national team member to reach a Champions League final. That is a huge achievement for a member of the women's national team.”