William Aird: County Laois Leads in National Biodiversity Week

I welcome the opportunity to speak during National Biodiversity Week and to recognise the incredible work being done by communities, volunteers, schools, farmers and local organisations across County Leach and throughout Ireland to protect our natural environment. Biodiversity is not an abstract idea. It is the hedgerow that's beside the road, it's the bees that are in your garden, it's the rivers and boglands that shape our countryside and the birds and wildlife that are part of everyday life in rural Ireland. Protecting biodiversity is not just about nature, it's about healthier communities, cleaner water, stronger farming and the birds and wildlife that are part of everyday life in rural Ireland. And protecting biodiversity is not just about nature, it's about healthier communities, it's about leaving our country in a better state, which is very important for the next generation. National Biodiversity Week reminds us that the real environmental progress happens on the ground and in local communities. In my own County of Leach, we are seeing that leadership every day. One initiative that deserves huge credit is Port Leach, A Town in a Garden. This initiative has completely changed how people look at public spaces and biodiversity in a town. Through pollinator-friendly planting, greener spaces and strong community involvement. It has shown that towns can grow and develop while supporting nature. This is about far more than just appearance. It is about creating habitats, improving the well-being and the building pride in our communities. I want to acknowledge the excellent work that's done of the Port Leach Tidy Towns and all Tidy Towns committees throughout the whole of County Leach in driving this project. Across Leach, volunteers give up their time every week to improve their local areas. Tidy Towns grows today are doing far more than just picking up litter. They are planting native species, they are protecting habitats, they're creating pollinator corridors and most of all they're educating communities about sustainability. There are environmental leaders in every sense of the word. I also want to recognize the work of the Leach Federation of the Tidy Towns and the growing support for the space of the nature approach. Sometimes the best thing we can do for nature is simply just to give it space. A wildflower patch, a native hedge, reduced mowing or restoring wetlands can make a real difference. We should also acknowledge the role, a very important role that the farmers are playing. Farmers are the custodians of much of our landscape and many are leading by example when it comes to biodiversity protection. Across Leach, farmers are protecting hedgerows, restoring habitats and safeguarding waterways while continuing to produce high quality food. They understand better than anyone that healthy land and healthy ecosystems go hand in hand. As legislators, we must back practical action. That means supporting local groups, supporting farmers and making biodiversity protection part of everyday life in town, village and parishes. People want cleaner rivers, they want greener communities and healthier environments for their families. People want to play their part. National Biodiversity Week is not just a celebration, it is a call to action. I want to thank every volunteer, every community group, every local authority worker, every farmer and every citizen who is helping to protect Ireland's biodiversity. Their work matters and County Leach can be proud of the example being set right across our communities. I want to say that I think that this is a good time for young people in our country. When I was a young person there was very little about biodiversity. All we ever knew was about tadpoles and pink eens. Today there's huge education in all our towns, in all our villages about the importance of keeping what we have and not letting, for instance, the work that's been done now with our native bee. The work that we have done, that we're doing now with both the corn crates and the hen harriers, it was a pity that couldn't have been done maybe 15 years ago and that there would be a lot more of that species. Can I just take this opportunity and thank everybody that's doing it.