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THE THIRD MEETING of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss will take place today with a visit to three examples of biodiversity management in three different environments in Dublin.
99 randomly selected members who are participating in the assembly’s eight-month programme of work will undertake a field trip to visit Dublin Port, Bull Island off the coast of the city’s northside, and Turvey Nature Reserve near to Donabate in Fingal.
The trip will allow the members to have a first-hand look at biodiversity management and help to inform their recommendations to the Oireachtas on how the State should respond to the loss of biodiversity in Ireland.
Assembly Chair Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin commented: “This field trip will help members understand some of the practical issues, challenges and opportunities associated with managing, protecting and restoring biodiversity.
“In addition, we are encouraging members to visit farms that are part of the Farming for Nature Network and other sites over the summer months to help them consider how the state should respond to the crisis of Biodiversity Loss,” she said.
The assembly was formed in 2019, when government declared a biodiversity emergency and passed an amendment calling for a citizens’ assembly. It was formed nearly three years later.
It will consider the threats of biodiversity loss and how to reverse it; the main causes and impacts of biodiversity loss; and how to improve the government’s response and measure progress.
Turvey Nature Reserve is a local authority park that is dedicated to enhancing biodiversity, and is one example of how Fingal County Council is attempting to manage the county’s biodiversity resource.
Members of the assembly will visit the dunes in the reserve with Kevin Halpenny, Senior Parks Superintendent at Fingal County Council and Biodiversity Officer at Fingal County Council Hans Visser.
They will also have a discussion on birds and biodiversity with Dr Rebecca Jeffrey and Sinead Delaney of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
They will then visit Dublin Port to see what measures are being taken to conserve biodiversity in a highly industrialised environment. They will meet CEO Eamonn O’Reilly, Heritage Officer Lar Joye and engineer Eamon McElroy.
Bull Island is part of Ireland’s NATURA 2000 network of internationally important biodiversity sites. They cover 13% of Ireland and are designated to ensure the long-term conservation of important species and habitats.
During their visit there, members will meet Les Moore, Head of Parks, Biodiversity and Landscape Services at Dublin City Council, along with NPWS Coastal and Monitoring Expert Aoife Delaney, and Dr Rebecca Jeffrey of the NPWS Science and Biodiversity unit.
Biodiversity loss is caused by factors like overexploitation of natural resources, habitat loss, and the climate crisis.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with every tenth of a degree that global temperatures rise, threats to species and ecosystems in oceans, coastal regions and on land also increase.
Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced significantly and urgently to thwart putting animals and plant life into unlivable conditions.
Local extinctions caused by the climate crisis are already widespread, and consequences of rising temperatures such as heatwaves, sea-level rise and coral reef bleaching are detrimental to biodiversity.
On top of climate change, other human activities, like overexploiting resources with a lack of respect for the natural environment, are driving biodiversity loss.
After the summer, the assembly will hear from experts, advocates, voluntary groups, interest groups and stakeholders to further inform their decisions on the recommendations that it will make to government.
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High time but good to see nonetheless.
@ecrowley ecrowley: it’s a bog state, for a bog people.
@brian o’leary: The Bogside.
Bualadh bos. Should have been bilingual from day 1. Some unionists still needing to be dragged kicking toward equality.
@Anthony Curran: like the Israelis
@You Cant Be Serious: That’s antisemitic bro. Don’t you know that you can’t say anything negative about the genocidal maniacs or you’ll be labelled antisem…..oops, I did it again. Israeli shill pile on incoming!
@Anthony Curran: Even if they installed Scots Gaelic signage on display in Belfast some Unionists would still complain even though some of their fellow Unionist brethern are fluent Scots gallic speakers from places like Hebrides
So it should. It’s in OUR country.
@Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: I don’t understand. Northern Ireland is not part of this country?
@peter white: as long as Ireland is an Island it forever will be.
@peter white: last time i checked it was in Ireland
@Phillip Smyth: There is no rule of law written anywhere that says an island has to be one country . Infact if history had happened differently the island of Ireland today could be broken up into more than one country . Ireland before the Norman conquest of 1169 was not one country . It was an island divided up into 5 provinces that was broken up into 150 kingdoms . The 32 counties came about between the 13th and 17th centuries. Wicklow being the last county in 1608 . The ROI that exists today is a breakaway state of the UK that form its own government and became an independent 32 county Irish nation for the first time in the history of the island of Ireland. Ireland has only ever been one nation in what is the UK today .
@Jack Moss: there was still a high king over the 5 provinces
Wount be long now until we all on the one road
@Kevin O Brien: singing the same anthem Lol.
I don’t know why but I was thinking about Ian Paisley Snr when I read this and what his reaction would be, with him being so bitter, a poison chalice.
@Phillip Smyth: oh, the irony of a multi account troll calling a political figure that’s deceased over a decade ‘ bitter & poison ‘……. Hilarious, LOL
@Buster Lawless: I’m not a troll Buster!!!!
@Phillip Smyth: but if you’re not the real Buster you are.
@Phillip Smyth: the bog people have come along way since paisley’s day.
@brian o’leary: are you taking about Londonderry or Derry, or country folk.
@Phillip Smyth: talking
@Phillip Smyth: I think he was referring to all taig’s.
@brian o’leary: ethnic slurs.
@Buster Lawless: if you are the real Buster, you accused me of this in the past and then apologized do you remember.. if you do you remember speak now or forever hold your piece, ready and cocked.
I can see the local loyalists loving the new signs. There was torture when they pulled down King Billy’s bridge that he his horse shat on..
Signs heading towards south: “Welcome to Ireland. How’s it Going?” Signs heading elsewhere ‘Welcome to Norn Ireland. What about ya!”
@Larry Betts: Signs to Dublin . What’s the story .
@Jack Moss: Lol. I had that in my original draft,but then shortened it! “Welcome to Dublin. Wats da story. Hope yiz all have a blast,see ya around”
@Larry Betts: welcome to Cork boy.
I fear no problem with whatever language it is written in. I have skills in recognising and translating many foreign languages. My skills with the usage and intricacies of many different tongues have often led to me being lauded as an expert cunning linguist.
@Larry Betts: Maith a Fir.
I was up North last week…… Must say it’s a fantastic station, very well laid out.
Hope it is in English for us southerners.
@Sammydavissenior.: You mean Jackeens?
@Gaelactico: Jackeens & Bog warriors.
No point in having Irish luangage in a foreign country like the North its the UK and they live under the king.
@Rian O’Sullivan: it’s the island of Ireland separated, thank god we are surrounded by water like Trump said to Zelenskyy there is an ocean between us.
@Rian O’Sullivan:At least the ‘luangage’ they speak is different from the language our High Kings of Tara spoke. From the Royal county of Meath.
@Rian O’Sullivan: Rian ‘Traitor’ O Sullivan.
Tá sé in am don Ghaeilge sa tsaol oifigiúil agus gnó i dtuaisceart Éireann! Maith sibh!
as long as it does get compulsory people should have a choice.
Not sure many youngsters really care about having it in Irish too, it’s not spoken or understood by most even my age. But if it keeps the peace stick it up
@Derek O Gorman: Speak for yourself. Ní thuigeann tú.
” North of Ireland ” … one day , Ireland will be whole again . If our Orange brethren don’t like the idea , they’ll get used to it eventually.
Republic of Ireland citizens are trying to get exemptions from Irish in schools
If you have to do something you rebel against it ,if you don’t have something you rebel to get,human nature
I hope some of the locals don’t head to the nearby Indian restaurant and ask them to “curry my yoghurt”.
have your say