Chuir mise ceist i mí Márta 1993 faoin Acht um Fhiadhúlra a leasú. Tugadh geallúint dom go mbeadh sé ann roimh dheireadh na bliana. Idir an dá linn tá scrios as cuimse déanta ar na portaigh, ar cheantair in aice leis an gcósta agus in a lán áiteanna a bhfuilimid in ainm is a bheith ag cosaint.
Five years on we have come to the end of another year with still no sign that the Minister has expended the necessary effort to publish this Bill. Instead of positive and hopeful signs, is the Minister presiding over an unprecedented wave of wildlife destruction, habitat loss and the degradation of natural landscapes? This wave of destruction is particularly affecting coastal areas, sand dunes and wetlands. Boglands, raised and blanket, are equally under threat and are disappearing at a fast pace all over the country.
Hedgerows are also a target for destruction, in particular, in areas where measure 5 of REPS is being implemented under the disastrous interpretation of the Department of Agriculture and Food, a different Department from the one dealing with this matter, but worthy of attention in the wildlife Bill. Hedgerows in Ireland create a unique habitat for wildlife. The hedgerow provides the food and shelter for species without which the country would be seriously deprived. Ironically, hedgerows are under threat from a measure that was put in place to contribute to the protection of our environment.
I pay tribute to the practical and campaigning work done on this issue by the CRANN organisation and, in particular, the local hedgerow project in County Leitrim. The absurdity of encouraging and financing the destruction of a natural feature of the natural landscape under the rural environment protection scheme is striking. In 1950, when many of the Ministers opposite were very young, we had more than 300,000 hectares of raised boglands. Today the number has dwindled to 20,000 hectares. The remaining bogs represent the best examples of such peatland left in Europe, but the lack of protection and legislation will again see the continued destruction of this important part of our national heritage.
In July 1916, Roger Casement wrote of his landing at Banna Strand and of the impression he had of the sandhills "full of skylarks arising in the dawn". They are a sad sight today. Banna Strand is under serious threat from destruction, despite strong representations from the Banna-Carrahane environment protection group to the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Deputy de Valera, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Woods, and the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dempsey.
Instead of positive action to protect these characteristic features of the unique Irish landscape, we have destructive inaction. The loss of political will, direction or nerve that has delayed the introduction of the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill is not only showing disregard for our natural environment, but also demonstrates a failure to comply with its commitments under EU law to implement the bird directive and the habitat directive. These are commitments which will land us in court and for which the Government will have to answer on behalf of the people. If the Government is not in a position to introduce this long awaited Bill, will the Minister — and this is the point of my raising this matter on the Adjournment — at least acknowledge that interim measures are required to stop the unprecedented destruction of wetland, dune and hedgerow habitats which are unique to our country?
In relation to that interim arrangement and the moratorium on measures which will further destroy these areas, may I ask that the appeals board, arising from the implementation of the habitat directive, which it seems is something like a vandals charter, not just accept appeals with material interests, but also with wider ecological interests at stake? It should be allowed to increase areas, rather than being restricted, as at present, to reducing areas of interest. That will obviously encourage people who are interested in destroying these areas to appeal their cases so that such areas can be less protected. Ireland is the worst EU member state, the vandals of Europe, when it comes to habitat protection. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure the Government introduces interim measures for a moratorium on the destruction of wetlands and other important habitats pending the introduction of the legislation.