Wildlife Protection
Seanad Éireann — 2022-03-01
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Lynn Boylan (SF), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister of State for his response. It goes back again to the point that it is clear that the works were carried out without a licence. I contacted the NPWS, requesting all of the derogation licences that were granted to Emo Court for the works. There is no licence for the works that were carried out in November and December of 2019. Therefore, that is an offence. If it was not for the colleges flagging this and reporting it to the NPWS, the later bat conservation surveys probably would not be as optimistic. This is just one example where there were plastic bags shoved into the passageways, trying to prevent the bats re-entering the building. That was on the basis of the report that was made by the NPWS. We are in a biodiversity crisis, and if a State body such as the OPW is stuffing plastic bags into holes to prevent bats entering a building or carrying out works without licences, we do not stand much of a chance when it comes to the private sector living up to its obligations under the law. Again, I ask the Minister of State to release the report on the investigation of the works that were carried out in November and December of 2019.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2022-03-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:11+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-03-01