Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The idea that somehow the economic basis of deferring or putting off the commitment in regard to climate change legislation is the Food Harvest 2020 report is something with which I fundamentally disagree. The Green Party has had a huge input into that report. It enshrines in agriculture policies much of what we believe in. Where we need to go in developing Irish agriculture is not in terms of quantity. We will not be the food basket for the world. Where we need to go is in terms of food quality. As a result of the environment we have, we can enhance and improve through legislation of this type.

When people talk about stakeholders entering into discussions and agreements about how we progress these policy areas, I hope people have that particular vision rather than take the type of knee-jerk response we have had to date.

The response of IBEC is equally disappointing. It seems to be a million miles away from its counterpart in the United Kingdom, the Confederation of British Industry, which looks on the existence of climate change legislation and the creation of a low carbon economy as an economic opportunity.