Press Release: Proposals to Protect Wetlands 200 Years Too Late

13th July, 2011

The IWT welcomes proposals from the Government to legislate for the protection of wetlands. Whether the legislation will be strong enough to work is another matter. Once again the protection of the environment only comes when the European Commission puts a gun to our head. This new law will not prevent the thousands of hectares of wetlands that have been lost over the decades to the detriment of our wellbeing and natural heritage. Nevertheless the drainage of swamps, marshes and other valuable wetlands continues apace as there has never been any value placed on their importance as natural habitats, purifiers of our water or attenuating floods.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSFA) issued a press release on July 11th stating that the new regulations that will require planning permission prior to drainage of wetlands as “an outrageous assault on property rights and the concept of freedom to farm” and described this environmentally destructive practice as ‘progressive farming’. The ICFSA should note that Ireland’s natural heritage belongs to the people of Ireland and no one has so-called ‘rights’ to act as they see fit in their own interest.

IWT chairman Pádraic Fogarty says “over 90% of Ireland’s land is given over to agriculture in one form or another, it is high time we learned to recognise the value of a healthy environment over and above what can be shown on a balance sheet. Most farmers are sensitive to environmental concerns and the hysterical ICFSA reaction does nothing to advance their interests.”

Given that environmental law in Ireland is poorly enforced it is unlikely that this new law will have any effect but it is nevertheless a step in the right direction.