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Glenasmole Valley Lauren Boland/The Journal

Degraded land in Dublin mountains to be restored under new biodiversity project

The project is seeking to restore land and improve biodiversity across 2,000 hectares around the Glenasmole Valley.

A 2,000 HECTARE section of degraded land in the Dublin mountains is set to be restored under a new project by the National Parks and Wildlife Service launched today.

Planting tens of thousands of trees, rewetting a blanket bog, and removing invasive plant species are among some of the measures being introduced to Glenasmole valley, located in the Dublin mountains at the source of the River Dodder near the Hell Fire Club and the Killakee viewpoint.

The project aims to restore and protect the land in ways that should increase biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and keep carbon stored in the ground rather than allowing it to be released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. It will also help to reduce the risk of flooding.

Currently, plant growth in the area is negatively affected by sheep and deer overgrazing. The project will involve planting new trees but also adding some shelters and fencing where needed to offer protection.

Additionally, invasive, non-native plant species like bracken and rhododendron will be manually cut back.

There are also wider plans to tackle illegal dumping in the area, which one NPWS official said would be important for the local environment, particularly water quality.

The area of land was purchased by the State from NAMA in 2016.

Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan and Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan visited the land today and each planted a tree.

A proposed Nature Restoration Law is currently progressing through the European Union that would introduce targets for restoring ecosystems, habitats and species on land and at sea.

Proponents are backing it as a landmark law that would not only protect land but restore it to good health in areas where it has been degraded.

However, it has received significant political pushback, including in Ireland from members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, prompting worry about the negative repercussions for nature if the legislation is blocked.

Asked by The Journal this afternoon whether he was concerned about the opposition, Minister Ryan said: “We need the nature restoration law and it will be enacted.”

“Yes, there’s different views and controversy in terms of how it gets to be agreed and completed, but I’m confident it will,” he said.

“It’s in no one’s interests for the natural world to fall apart, for biodiversity to be lost, and so I think we can overcome those difficulties.

“The differences in the Irish system hasn’t been the problem. We’ve actually within government, myself and Minister [for Agriculture] Charlie McConalogue and Minister Noonan have been working collectively. We’ve had a common position in the negotiations. The problem has come from some other European interests .

“But I think there’s common understanding within our system that restoring nature is in all our interests.”

A recent Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity loss made 159 recommendations to the State on protecting biodiversity and calling for constitutional changes to ensure people have a right to a clean, healthy and safe environment and to embed protections for nature into the constitution. 

A similar assembly of made up of 35 children and teenagers published a report last month calling for Ireland to “treat the Earth like family”.

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8 Comments
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    Mute Billy Connelly
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:09 PM

    Im at home snuggled by the fire about to have a hot dinner brought into me whilst having a glass of wine. I feel so sad for victim’s of this trafic light debacle….:)

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    Mute Paddy Hayden
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:44 PM

    @Billy Connelly: I think that’s where the Guards are too . At least they’re aware of the issue .

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    Mute Patabake Kennedy
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:49 PM

    @Billy Connelly: I say, sitting in this traffic with all those wexford lowlifes peering at my beemer is excruciating. How uncivil of the lower class to even venture onto such an exclusive area as the outstanding N11. How uncouth.

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    Mute thenightmancometh
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:41 PM

    @Billy Connelly: Its a jake. A total jake.

    11
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    Mute Billy Connelly
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:48 PM

    @Paddy Hayden: Their monitoring closely

    5
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    Mute Billy Connelly
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    Oct 19th 2017, 10:33 PM

    @Patabake Kennedy: really? Im home, back in my home in Wexford having driven from Dublin 4 in my lovely Skoda. I love watching from my car window all the Audi and Beemers whilst in traffic wondering how the otherside live

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    Mute John Nolan
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:30 PM

    Have The Guards forgotten how to do traffic point duty.

    109
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:56 PM

    Good point John. It’s still a part of the driving test to know your various signals.

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    Mute Jonathan Power
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:38 AM

    @John Nolan: there still looking for Noreens phone

    12
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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:08 PM

    It’s chaos in a lot of other areas as well.

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    Mute Theportobello
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:17 PM

    Is this what passes for a headline on the Journal?

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    Mute Darren Tully
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:59 PM

    @Theportobello: I think it’s more of a public service anouncement I’m thankful for reports of serious traffic delays that help me avoid them.

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    Mute j4VEpUO8
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:20 PM

    A Garda station only 20 seconds up the road. God help us!

    54
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    Mute JustOneScoop
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:13 PM

    The entire day was a ball of crap.. Also thanks to the cars that ran into each other at the Glen of the downs. Kudos for not keeping distance. 2 1/2 hour journey home

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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:20 PM

    Intriguing,it would be helpful if the traffic corps could spend less time tweeting and more time actually managing this mess

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    Mute Sean
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    Oct 19th 2017, 10:18 PM

    @Joseph Dempsey: maybe the tweeting unit tweets and the traffic unit does the traffic?

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    Mute David Huston
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:19 PM

    Hope some Bemer doesn’t rear end my Audi guys, Right.

    50
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    Mute Del Bear
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:09 PM

    I just got the bus in from stillorgan to town and it was grand!

    31
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    Mute Stephen Collard
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:09 PM

    It was a mess all day!!

    40
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    Mute ⚡ Seánie ⚡
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:32 PM

    FFS. Doing night shift to avoid people, not get stuck in traffic with them.

    41
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    Mute Eoin Kenny
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:15 PM

    It took me 2 hours to drive from the square Tallaght to bray an absolute nightmare.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:22 PM

    @Eoin Kenny:

    Not surprised it took you 2 hrs if you are going from Tallaght to Bray via Donnybrook

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    Mute Eddie O'Neill
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:40 PM

    @Eoin Kenny: Any relation to that thick country vegetable, Enda Kenny? (only joking with you Eoin, it was a rough day on the roads of Dublin (and Wicklow) ).

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    Mute Reg
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:08 PM

    Sandymount was the same earlier, backed up from the Merrion Gates to Ringsend. Luckily I was on two wheel…..so long suckers!

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    Mute Dj
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:17 PM

    @Reg: I’d say your Ringsend is backed up from that saddle!

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    Mute Reg
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:18 PM

    Regular as clock work DJ!

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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:10 PM

    Heard that there’s a powercut in Donnybrook, traffic lights out.

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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:13 PM

    @Anthony Halpin: …. just as he sees it in the article …

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    Mute aoife shanahan
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    Oct 19th 2017, 10:58 PM

    It’s extremely dangerous when a junction that has traffic coming from four different directions is left with no signal and not a guard in sight. They’ve been aware of the situation for hours and their only response has been a tweet to avoid the area. This is actually negligent. I hope that a serious accident doesn’t happen!

    17
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    Mute eimsley
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:55 PM

    EVERY SINGLE DAY IN GALWAY. Every day

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    Mute john g mcgrath
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:16 PM

    Thousands of Guards in Dublin and we can’t get 2or3 to do point duty at one of The busiest junctions in Dublin.
    To serve and protect my arse!!!

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    Mute j4VEpUO8
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:22 PM

    @john g mcgrath: ohh they protect alright. We all know who..

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:46 PM

    @j4VEpUO8: Did you not hear? They’re replacing the trffic corp with the Communications Corp. They’ll soon be rolling it out across the whole force. You’ll be tweeted where crime is happening so you can stay away, if you don’t and get caught up in it, it’s your own fault for putting yourself in harms way when you’ve been warned.

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    Mute Sean
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    Oct 19th 2017, 10:19 PM

    @john g mcgrath: I’m sorry but why does your arse need protecting?

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    Mute Charlie Melia
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    Oct 20th 2017, 5:11 PM

    @john g mcgrath: Agree totally John. Mainly lazy thugs who don’t want to work in extreme conditions when they are needed most. After my experience with two family members being burgled….. One visit by one Garda who never checked back. Considering one family member was 80 years of age. I thought it was an absolute disgrace.

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    Mute Lad
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:14 PM

    The outage may have come from storm Brian.. because some young girl said it…

    10
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    Mute Eddie O'Neill
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    Oct 19th 2017, 9:00 PM

    At 6ish traffic out of town was very bad today on the Donnybrook, Leeson St, Ranelagh routes, were the lights out since that time anyone know?

    9
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    Mute SkylineSi
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    Oct 20th 2017, 7:39 AM

    I was stuck right in the middle. Was chaos. Everyone just trying to force their way through. Even some passenger, in a wife beater top, got out and tried to direct traffic. He nearly got side swiped. I called Donnybrook Garda station twice but no answer. Only 20 secs up to road but no where to be seen.

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    Mute Austin hickey
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    Oct 19th 2017, 11:27 PM

    The Garda are to busy

    6
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    Mute Patabake Kennedy
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    Oct 20th 2017, 12:22 AM

    @Austin hickey: Yeah. scrachin your self wears these guys out all right.

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    Mute scanlanavia
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:52 PM

    shucks.. first world problems…

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    Mute The Watcher
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    Oct 19th 2017, 8:21 PM

    That’s only the beginning. Wait until they start testing the LUAS more intensely tomorrow. Trams ruining every 3 minutes in O Connell street at 10kph.

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    Mute Simon Conneely
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    Oct 20th 2017, 4:37 PM

    If there were more flyovers on existing junctions past shankhill heading towards city centre there would be no problems

    1
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