Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2023
74. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the 75% loss of wetlands in Ireland in 300 years; his plans for the preservation of wetlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9030/23]
View answerWetlands include a wide range of habitats. Amongst these are peatlands and fens, which, from a climate action perspective, play an important role in carbon storage. Rehabilitated peatlands in particular have the potential to contribute significantly to reducing emissions within the Land Use, Land-use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. Peatlands cover approximately 21% of Ireland’s landscape and contain approximately 66% of Ireland’s carbon stock.
The peatland rehabilitation measures set out in Climate Action Plan 2023 provide for the rehabilitation of 33,000 hectares of peatlands by 2025 (with a further target of approximately 70,000 hectares by 2030) and will contribute significantly to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions for the land use sector. Additionally, Ireland’s Territorial Just Transition Plan will enable the rehabilitation of degraded wetlands across multiple sites including raised and blanket bogs, fens and other wetlands types mostly in the Natura network in the Midlands region. Finally, the EU Nature Restoration Law, as proposed, seeks to repair European habitats that are in poor condition and bring back nature to all ecosystems. The aim is for nature restoration measures to apply to a proportion of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030 and to eventually extend these measures to all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The draft EU Nature Restoration Law will see further targets for restoring drained peatlands under agricultural use and we are working closely on this with our colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who are leading on this.
