Is it time for Ireland to recognise and protect the rights of nature in our Constitution?

The question of a referendum to protect the rights of nature within the Irish Constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, may be an issue that has reached its time, debates ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

The Joint Oireachtas Committee, made up of members of all political parties as well as independents, has said that “the people of Ireland [should] 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)". Picture: Larry Cummins

Could Ireland be the first country in the EU to recognise the rights of nature in our Constitution?

That could be inferred from the recent findings of hearings held by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action.