I have highlighted the problem the environmental designation of land under the habitats directive and the birds directives is having west of the Shannon and particularly the fact it is shutting down development. If a person wants to dredge a river to stop flooding, build a road or bridge, put up a fence or widen a drain, he or she is blocked from doing so. With regard to roads and bridges, it is adding such delay and cost - I am talking about millions - that the existing situation is just not tenable. I ask that as well as having a general debate on the issue in the House as a priority in September, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, under whose remit this falls, is asked that in the case of infrastructural development near special areas of conservation or special protection areas, where development has taken place in or about these designated lands, what surveys, investigation or studies have been done to establish the impact of development on designated sites and to what extent protected species, habitats and birds have re-established themselves on or near sites after a development has been carried out. I will give an example of a farmer outside Castlebar who developed a small wind farm on his lands. One of the turbines was objected to by the National Parks and Wildlife Service because of the presence of grouse. The man has since built it. There are turbines elsewhere. The grouse have established themselves at the base of the turbines.

We are constantly being told in Mayo we cannot proceed with the development of a bridge or road because of freshwater pearl mussel. There are Government schemes to support freshwater pearl mussel and all the other species and habitats. It seems to me there are more freshwater pearl mussel in the county of Mayo than there are wild mushrooms. As we move forward, if we are to make real progress and not assault the environment, we have to get the balance between wildlife and people. If not, we might as well turn Ireland west of the Shannon into a game reserve for people to come and have a look at us and see how we exist because we are going nowhere fast. As far as I am concerned, it is a priority. I know other colleagues feel similarly. It is something we should look at with fresh eyes come September.