Government accused of hypocrisy on Biodiversity
Governments policies contradict lofty rhetoric on National Biodiversity Conference says Brid Smith TD
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith has said that the governments support for the Heritage Bill, which was passed in the Dáil this year, directly contradicts the Minister’s comments surrounding the National Biodiversity Conference which would implement a National Biodiversity Action Plan.
The Heritage Act contains provisions that extend the burning periods for vegetation and the destruction of hedgerows. This is regarded by many in the environmental community as being a disaster for birds, bees, pollinators and other wildlife because it would interfere with nesting activities of certain species.
In a statement, Minister Madigan said that “Globally, we are losing biodiversity at a rate unprecedented in human history. In Ireland, over 90% of our protected habitats are in poor condition, and 14% of species assessed are deemed to be endangered. The number of plants, insects, mammals and birds that are threatened or endangered is growing year on year…. There is no Planet B. The biodiversity of this planet is the greatest resource we have and it is up to this generation to move beyond rhetoric and on to action. That action is not for the prescient few. It is an obligation on us all, and we will use this conference to broaden that dialogue.”
Reacting to these statements, Bríd Smith said:
“What the Minister has said is once again totally at odds with what the government is doing regarding the environment and biodiversity.
“For the Minister to say that ‘the biodiversity of this planet is the greatest resource we have and it is up to this generation to move beyond rhetoric and on to action’ after passing the Heritage Act is a grotesque example of hypocrisy”, the TD claimed.
“Environmentalists are very concerned about the effects that the Heritage Act will have on species of insects and birds and by extension to the biodiversity of our island. But this Government continues to support oil and gas exploration off our coasts when we know that this impacts on marine biodiversity and endanger breeding grounds for many species.”
“These statements by the Minister strike me as more of the same spin and PR from the government- they say one thing to keep people happy and do the exact opposite.”
