The Green Party has highlighted the pollution and damage to nature at Lady's Island Lake in Wexford with the Taoiseach in the past. Last Friday, the climate and environment committee visited Lady's Island Lake, and met with the strategic oversight group and the save Our Lady's Island Lake community group. What has been done to date is encouraging, and I welcome the initial tranche of funding provided to begin the baseline and scoping work. However, more State support is needed. My colleague, Senator Noonan, stated that the restoration of the ecological status of Lady's Island Lake could take up to 20 years, and with a huge collective effort.

On National Biodiversity Week, will the Taoiseach give a commitment to more investment to fund the work of the strategic oversight group to deliver long-term restoration of the lake through supporting local farmers? Lady's Island Lake could become a beacon of restoring nature across this island but it requires the State to step up and support actions on the ground that will ultimately turn this situation around.

First, I appreciate the comments the Deputy has made and that he has acknowledged the encouraging signs the committee witnessed when it visited Lady's Island Lake recently. I have been engaged with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, on the biodiversity plan and national funding over a period, to enable implementation of the broader national strategy and plan. Obviously, we are committed to continuing the work at Lady's Island Lake to see how speedily or timely we can get that work done. I will speak to the Minister of State again on that.