-----Uisce Éireann's investment for Clonmel and its communication strategy and engagement practices with local elected representatives. My own experience has been that this is improving, and has been improving, particularly over the last year. I also understand that Uisce Éireann has provided comprehensive details on the Clonmel outages to the Clonmel business association last week, and further, provided briefings to Oireachtas Members and Tipperary County Council water services at a workshop last week. This is mor…

-----in the south-east region over the next 25 years. Feedback is sought through the public consultation on the draft rural water programme, RWP for the south east. I reiterate that it is critically important, as the Ceann Comhairle said, that the channel of communication between Uisce Éireann and its customers - in this case, the business community in Clonmel town centre - is effective, meaningful and addressing the issues as they see them. I think that is happening but I can appreciate the challenge that it has b…

I will first outline a little of the background to the Bill as it has had an extended journey to get to this point. I am sure Senator Kyne is familiar with it. I thank him for his work when he was the Minister of State responsible for this. The purpose of the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 is to give legal effect to the proposed reconfiguration of the raised bog natural heritage area network. This reconfiguration arises from a national study of our raised bog resource in 2014, called the Review of Raised Bog Natura…

The Bill amends the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 by the insertion of a new section 18A after section 18 of the Act. Section 18A sets out how the 2014 review is to be completed and the requirements for future reviews of blanket bog NHAs. Seanad amendments Nos. 3 and 4 from the previous Seanad proposed changes to the criteria to be utilised in selecting more suitable bog habitats to be designated, or cease to be designated, as NHAs. The changes brought in additional criteria, including recreational and sporting need…

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I thank Senator Higgins for her work on this Bill. The amendments she put forward in the last Seanad have certainly helped to improve this legislation. I again acknowledge this point. She is probably watching these proceedings and I wish her all the best. She is on maternity leave and I congratulate her. Regarding these proposed amendments, because there is a perception among NGOs and others that this legislation is going to give carte blanche to mass de-designation of …

Amendment No. 13 is an Opposition amendment from the previous Seanad. The Bill, as passed by the previous Seanad, contained a new section as a result of amendment No. 13. This new section provided that the Minister would, within 12 months of the passing of the Bill, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas containing guidelines and recommendation thresholds for the exercise of turbary rights, including a definition or definitions of "household use". The intention behind this amendment, as I understand it, …

Again, I appreciate the concerns raised by Senators. I give assurance that this section will be commenced, along with other sections of the Bill, as soon as possible this year. The volume of turf will be determined in the report. We are trying to achieve an average amount that a household would use. Notwithstanding turf use, a retrofitting programme is under way throughout the country. It is hoped, and it is the Government's objective, to reduce the use over time. We are trying to ensure we have an average amount o…

This amendment, as proposed by the Seanad, provided that before an order can be made to de-designate a natural heritage area, a report shall be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on current condition, restoration potential, rewetting potential, the special scientific interest of the sites and other such factors as the Minister may deem necessary of all blanket bog natural heritage areas. This amendment was accepted in the Seanad subject to further consideration. The amendment was considered and the wording a…

The first amendment put forward by the Senators seeks to delete the words "as the Minister considers necessary" from the following passage: The review conducted under paragraph (a) shall include designated blanket bog natural heritage areas and other blanket bog natural heritage areas as the Minister considers necessary. The reason for the words "as the Minister considers necessary" is to ensure that the process of reviewing blanket bogs can be carried out without unnecessary obstacles. For instance, there are some…

Amendments Nos. 15c1 and 15c2 are minor redrafts to better reflect the intention behind an Opposition amendment accepted and passed in the Seanad. Under the draft Bill one of the factors to assess whether to de-designate an NHA is environmental criteria. "Environmental criteria" is defined in the Bill as meaning the conservation value of a bog, taking into account the area, range, habitat, structure, function and ecological features of the bog when compared to those of one or more other bogs. Amendment No. 15 from …

I again thank all Senators for a constructive debate. This legislation has taken a long journey. I again thank Senator Kyne, who was in my seat during the previous consideration of the Bill. I thank Senators for the constructive amendments that were put forward in the Seanad. That highlights the importance of robust debate on these matters and has strengthened the Bill. I am particularly delighted to see the national biodiversity action plan to be put on a statutory basis. In light of yesterday's vote in the Europe…

I will go through some of the issues the Deputies raised. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan raised the different application of the tenant in situ scheme across local authorities. Deputy Boyd Barrett also raised the matter. I will look into that. This is the responsibility of local authorities. The Government designed the scheme but it is up to local authorities to implement it. The Deputy gave a long list of testimonies. If there are any issues he wants to raise with us regarding specific cases, he should certainly bring th…

The Government recently established the Land Development Agency, LDA, for the purpose of developing affordable and social housing on State lands. The LDA also works to procure housing units more broadly for cost rental and affordable purchase. The Housing Agency separately provides a range of housing functions and services, including assisting local authorities to deliver their housing programmes. In this context, it is not clear that establishing another housing agency would see any increase in overall housing del…

There is nothing wrong with private housing construction. We have not just been funding the development of social housing. We fund the approved housing bodies to construct housing. There is a significant uptake in first-time mortgages, which is to be welcomed. It brings first-time buyers into the market, which is absolutely to be welcomed because those are housing solutions for those families. It is also critically important that we are putting funding in place for Uisce Éireann to front-load the infrastructure and…

Again, I disagree with the Deputy-----

I disagree first of all about the necessity to set up a State construction company. We are delivering under Housing for All. For the first time in a generation, we are delivering affordable housing and cost rental, as well as funding the AHBs to deliver too. We are delivering right across all housing tenures. That is critically important and we will continue to do that. The problems with establishing a State construction company would be quite significant, notwithstanding the time it would take to establish in term…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to update the House on the progress of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS. The biodiversity emergency is among our greatest challenges, if not the greatest. Over the past 100 years, generations of Irish people have seen a gradual dimming of the variety of life, a greying out of the diversity of species and habitats and a silencing of the abundance of nature. While the change has been rapid from a biodiversity point of view, it has been slow from a human perspective an…

Why not?

There is a significant amount to which I need to reply. If I do not reply on all the queries, I will try to respond to the Deputies at a later point. I have an announcement that highlights the challenge we face. I am aware of an outbreak of avian influenza at Our Lady's Island tern colony in Wexford. The NPWS and Birdwatch Ireland are working to ensure the effect on this internationally important bird site is minimised. Members of the public should not handle dead or sick birds but, rather, contact a regional veter…

At the outset, before I go into my scripted speech, I would like to thank all the Deputies. I want to thank Deputy Fitzmaurice, and I would like to state that it is not the Government's intention to cause division by tabling a countermotion. I really appreciate the constructive engagement the Deputy has consistently shown down the years with the peatlands in particular. I thank Deputy Harkin as well for tabling this. We need unity on this across the House. I have had good engagement over the weekend with most of ou…