November 10th, 2023
Ireland awakes to some positive news this morning, as the Nature Restoration Law has succeeded in passing yet another milestone on its perilous journey to become law.
I welcome the conclusion of the trilogue negotiations between the European Council of Ministers, the Parliament and the Commission, and am heartened to see that many of its most important provisions for nature, which Ireland endorsed at the EU Council of Ministers, are still included.
Ireland has supported the NRL since the outset. We have argued strongly and in good faith for a text that addresses the urgent needs of nature and ensures that society is empowered to meet the challenge. This advocacy has been echoed by many thousands of citizens, both at home and across Europe, who have spoken up for the natural world and made their voices heard and I commend them for this.
I have repeatedly said that nature restoration can only be delivered with the full support of the farming, forestry and fishing communities who own and/or manage our lands and seas. Our most urgent task now is to find the common ground in which a new way of doing things can take root, and through this, to ensure that both people and the natural world feel the benefits.
That’s why, from the beginning, I have sought dedicated, long term funding to support nature restoration measures and I was proud that the Government delivered this through the €3.15bn Climate and Nature Fund as part of Budget 2024.
The NRL is not yet law and there are some crucial steps still to be taken, but I am bolstered by the progress to date and the resounding support from all sectors of society and the political system here in the Oireachtas. It is now widely understood that people and the economy need healthy nature and I am more certain than ever that the Irish people want us to take action.
Ireland is now on a journey to restore its relationship with the natural world. The NRL will be the bottom line for Ireland’s ambition, and in this regard, the sky's the limit.