I move: "That the Bill be now read a second time."
Ireland is surrounded by unrivalled expanses of natural beaches which form a fitting setting for the emerald gem. Our heritage of sands, sand dunes and cliff systems and the ecological systems they support is in our care. It is our privilege as well as our duty to preserve our heritage intact, to hand it on to our children and, in turn, to their children.
In introducing this Bill I should like to thank Opposition spokespersons for their support and co-operation in having it brought forward quickly, before the summer recess. Towards the end of the year there will be a much larger, substantial Bill introduced but at this stage we considered it important to take powers to enable us act in this area quite urgently.
It is my aim under the provisions of this Bill to emphasise the value of this wonderful resource of ours for the benefit of all people who know and use our beaches to so that neither thoughtlessness nor greed will spoil them. I am sure the very substantial penalties provided for in this Bill will act as a real deterrent to those who would despoil our sands.
When the original Act was passed in 1933 the maximum fines of £5 and £10 were regarded as substantial, if not very substantial, which they were. I might illustrate what the purchasing power of money was in those days. For example, a full glass of whiskey cost one shilling, or 5p; 20 cigarettes cost half a penny and a pint of plain porter cost seven old pence, less than three new pence. Wages were equally modest in that a tradesman could expect £3 2s. 6p. per week, that, in today's money, is £3 12½p.; a factory worker could earn six old pence, 2½ new pence per hour. Therefore, the House will see that, when these rates were set, the value of money was quite different.
The new penalties being provided for in this Bill are up to £1,000 and six months' imprisonment on summary conviction and up to £200,000 — £100,000 for the first offence and up to £200,000 for a second or subsequent offence — and five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment. Therefore, it will be seen that they are substantial, tough penalties, but are necessary to underline the message that we have a valuable asset we must preserve and safeguard. In setting these penalties it was necessary to consider much more than inflation. For example, in 1933, two men with shovels, a horse and cart would have made only small inroads into any beach but modern earth-moving machinery can change a landscape physically in hours. There is need now for the Minister to have at his disposal a fast and effective means of protecting our seashore from the pillaging of sand and gravel. I must emphasise that this Bill will not interfere with any legitimate use of the shore. In particular, there will be no change in the existing patterns of seaweed harvesting, which is particularly important along our west coast.
I have concentrated thus far on the substantial increases in penalties for contravening prohibitory orders and notices. I might now go on to deal with the matter of disturbance of the seashore, a new concept I have introduced because it was very clear to me that taking beach material from the shore is not the only way of damaging our beaches. For example, the sheer weight of heavy equipment can destroy vegetation. Once the root systems break down, the sand is at risk of being eroded by the elements. This takes me back to my early days in agriculture when I studied eco-systems, the performance of roots in various conditions, including visits to places like Dollymount to see the effects of the marram grass. Circumstances also arise when concentrated traffic by lighter vehicles would do untold damage not only to the seashore flora but also to the fauna. By the prohibition of specified disturbance I will be able to prevent this kind of damage. There have been recent examples also of people moving sand dunes to find a site for a caravan, an extension to a dwelling or whatever, without realising the damage they were doing to the overall beach system and, very directly, the kind of damage that can be done to the movement of sand on the beach.
Equally it is important that there be a local voice in protecting local beaches. For this purpose the Bill provides that, in addition to the Minister, a local authority would have recourse to the courts to prosecute for offences, or to gain injunctions to prevent further damage to a beach or dune system. The Bill provides also that the court may order that the works necessary to make good, or prevent further damage, be undertaken within a specified time limit. Henceforth not alone shall we have a method of preventing damage to our shores but it will be possible to reverse or remedy such damage as far as human ingenuity will permit, and as speedily as possible.
I might summarise the main provisions of the Bill. First, they give the Minister power to ban sand removal from any beach or classes of beaches; to ban any method of sand removal — we are thinking here particularly of mechanical diggers and large removals — to ban any way, or ways, of disturbing sand and so on; to get an order from any court to compel an offender to stop and make good the damage within an allowed time. I might add that a relevant local authority or any individual or body would also be able to obtain such an order. If an offender fails to carry out the order of the court, the provisions of the Bill allow the Minister to have remedial works carried out and the relevant offender billed for the costs. The Bill also allows for the prosecution of an offender in the District Court. A local authority would have that power also. The Bill also provides that the Minister may licence, or refuse to licence, removal or disturbance of sand and so on, and to set conditions on quantities, methods, vehicles, times, giving notice and other related matters. The Bill will also give the Minister power to include damage to flora, fauna and other amenities in the criteria for reaching a decision on whether to ban or allow any sand removal.
We have 52 European blue flag beaches which rank among the finest in Europe and 27 beaches were recently awarded national green flag status. We plan to protect and maintain these valuable national assets and to provide effective deterrents to those who knowingly and wilfully — or perhaps unwittingly — damage our beaches, sand dunes and seashore eco-systems. We must take action in this respect. It is my conviction that the action we are taking will be effective and helpful, strengthening the democratic process, allowing any individual to have right of recourse to the courts and to halt the illegal removal or disturbance of sand. Our blue flag beaches are to be found all over the country in counties Louth and Dublin, in Bray, County Wicklow, in County Wicklow generally, Waterford, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Clare and Galway. All over the country we have wonderful beaches. We have recognised their value as a national resource and we plan to maintain and protect them. This Bill will strengthen the Minister's powers to protect the heritage of our coastline for present and future generations. I commend it to the House. I thank the draftsmen and the officials of the Department for speedily bringing the Bill forward and the Opposition spokespersons for their courtesy and co-operation in ensuring that the Bill could pass through the House before the summer recess.
