Things have got worse since I spoke about this last year. I had a few more minutes then, so I have to rush. The 2025 Article 17 habitats report has come out since last year’s debate and it shows we are sliding backwards. There have been improvements in a small number of habitats and targeted conservation work by volunteers has helped some species but overall we are neglecting our country and basically spitting in the face of our many volunteers. The report shows 90% of Ireland’s EU protected habitats remain in poor condition and more than half are still deteriorating. This Government and its predecessor has allowed the majority of our most precious ecosystems to continue deteriorating. It is not rocket science. What is causing the problem is unsustainable land use, drainage, pollution, overgrazing, improper development and especially the shameful way we reneged on our responsibilities to sustain biodiversity. We still allow raw sewage into our rivers and seas, which is absolutely absurd. Putting animal excrement on our land and allowing it to pollute our waterways is plain wrong. We have nitrogen-fixing alternatives like fava beans, and a policy promoting more organic farming rather than over-intensification could help massively but instead we trumpet our achievement with the derogation on the nitrates directive. I believe in our farmers. I believe they will do more if their incomes are protected and they are given guarantees and incentives, along with the communities they live in. There is surely a way to adhere to the nitrates directive while protecting farm incomes. In dealing with our problem nationally we need meaningful incentives and enforcement where incentives do not work. Above all, we need political will as opposed to plámás.

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