Vandalism of landscape and natural history

Laying their eggs from March to June, cock stonechats will be threatened by the Heritage Bill 2016 allowing upland burning in march, writes Damien Enright.

On the morning of April 13, when I turned on my computer, I uttered a whoop of joy and rushed to tell my wife about a very welcome Press Release on my screen.

It said: “Following months of co-ordinated pressure and opposition in the Seanad led by Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, the Government has been forced to dilute highly controversial proposals in Heritage Bill 2016 ... the legislation that sought to extend the permitted cutting of hedgerows into August and the burning of uplands into March.