Social Democrat TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore has again asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, if he intends to endorse the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action for a referendum that would “acknowledge the rights of nature.”
The Wicklow TD originally asked the Minister an identical question regarding a potential endorsement for such a referendum on 20 February last.
The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action held a series of meetings to discuss The Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss (CABL) report published in April 2023.
This eventually led to the Oireachtas Committee publishing its own report on the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly in December 2023. This Report contained 86 recommendations to protect biodiversity loss, including recommendations for a referendum on the matter.
In its recommendations the Committee members stated that they accept, in principle, the view that the people of Ireland be afforded an opportunity, in a referendum or referenda, “to protect our biodiversity through the incorporation of the rights of nature and/or the right to a healthy environment into Bunreacht na hÉireann (the Irish Constitution).”
This would mean that new substantive rights of nature would come into effect, including recognising nature “as a holder of legal rights, comparable to companies or people e.g. to exist, flourish/perpetuate and be restored if degraded; not to be polluted/harmed/degraded.”
The Committee further recommended that the Government begin the preparatory steps to consider a referendum or referenda within the lifetime of the current Dáil, which includes the establishment of an expert group that would have broad expertise both on a national and international basis and should work to ensure that any questions provide a balance of rights and are appropriate to Ireland’s constitutional context.
Committee members also recommended “a robust public awareness campaign in advance of any change to environmental rights/referendum on environmental rights to prevent the spread of misinformation and to encourage public debate on biodiversity.”
In the appendix section of the Committee Report, it was observed that while Government have made no decision on whether to implement the recommendation for a referendum or referenda, the Dept of Housing has stated there is an action proposed in 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan for the National Park and Wildlife Service to “explore ways in which the rights of nature could be formally recognised including constitutional change.”
The Committee also noted the view that that in 2008, Ecuador enshrined the rights of nature in its constitution and that subsequently “Ecuador has the most robust enforcement and implementation because the rights of nature have been enshrined within its constitution for 15 years.”
The Committee noted this law had been most effective with regard to cases brought by NGOs seeking to stop permit issuances before Ecuador’s constitutional court.
In his reply to Deputy Whitmore on behalf of the Minister for Housing, the Green Party Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, would only go so far as to say that The 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030 that was launched in January “provides for a mechanism by which the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly will be considered by Government, including an action for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to explore the ways in which the rights of nature could be formally recognised.”
Given that the anticipated referendum on the International Patent Court has now been postponed it is almost a certainty that a referendum seeking to constitutionalise the “rights of nature” will not take place in the lifetime of this Government.
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These dangerous leftist lunatics, refuse to recognise the rights of the unborn to life yet are championing this…………one must ask, are these the type of people that should be anywhere near the levers of power
Correct, Des. If this proposal was really a sincere and genuine attempt to defend nature, then logically the unborn would be TOP OF THE LIST for protection, since every human being has to pass through this stage.
Roll on the next election and freedom from the Soc Dems and their fake Citizen Assemblies.
Are you sure Jennifer is not the greens???? Endorse the rights of nature, what is she on ffs, they don’t even endorse our rights ffs. Now if is was an illegal, they would endorse that alright. I can give Jennifer the answer right now, nooooooooooo. No referendum required. I watched the VM thing on the illegals last night, the left out the part where they dove the illegals back into the city after they were moved for paddies. That Wally from the Irish plantation council was a disgrace in fairness. If they are scared the don’t come here, they had enough balls to get on the plane to scam us. Full of crap he was. Total Soros minion.
It is farcical that people who do not believe in a sovereign creator God nevertheless think that human beings can play God with our world. Such is the pride of people that they think they can create a utopia while all history illustrates their abject failure to do so.
The early Greeks had this figured out and had a lot to say on the matter. Tgey called it HUBRIS
The early Hebrews knew arrogance and pride was a problem centuries earlier than the Greeks.
Slippery slope. If ‘nature’ has the same rights as a person, then it makes it easier to extend the same rights to other abstractions such as Corporations
Time to sock them Soc. Dem. at the next elections.
Roll on 8 June
We need a referendum on immigration!
Please TODAY contact tge Tds and Senators in your Constituency
The article leaves out what the real practical purpose is of granting rights to nature.
You might wonder how animals, plants and bacteria would enforce their rights. Here’s the whole point: These rights, and the laws based on them, would permit anyone who objects to some use of the natural world to bring a lawsuit as “nature’s” representative.
Everyone would have standing to bring a case on behalf of nature once its “rights” are being violated.
Rosa Koire. No go areas, restricted access
🎶🎵 All kinds of everything🎵🎵 Party
I’ve no idea what they’re even doing there – everything is accounted for.