Criticism of President highlights lack of legislation impact analysis – McGrath

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said that the criticism which has been levelled at President Michael D Higgins with respect to his role in passing detrimental habitat legislation speaks to a deeper problem regarding a lack of impact analysis for those communities most affected by such laws. Deputy McGrath was speaking after fellow Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice said the President had questions to answer regarding his involvement in passing laws that have deepened the problems faced by victims of the recent flooding:

“While I would not go so far as to say that the President in both his former and current role has intentionally set out to damage communities; I would say that the practice of rushing through and signing off on legislation, which has definitely escalated under this government, is a source of serious concern.

For many of us in rural Ireland there is a genuine sense that many of these Wildlife and Habitat Regulations are enacted with no proper analysis or input from communities who have a far deeper understanding of the issues involved.

There is definitely a sense that too much priority has been given to the welfare of animal and insect life to the detriment of the human populations in the vicinity.

We need to find a way that respects the best of our natural wildlife heritage but which also gives due precedence to the concerns of communities most likely to be affected.

As we have seen in recent weeks when issues of drainage are ignored for the sake of adhering to habitat regulations then the problems of rural Ireland very rapidly become the becomes of urban Ireland.

There must be a greater willingness to perform meaningful impact analysis as well as a willingness to put a halt on the mad rush to get legislation passed; failure to do so will only continue to deepen existing problems,” concluded Deputy McGrath.