Ms Justice Mary Laffoy:

Not so much in relation to transport. We did consider this in the context of agriculture, and I am conscious that concerns were expressed around recommendations 11 and 13 on agriculture. In fairness to the members of the assembly, if one looks at the wording of recommendation 11 in particular, one sees that it recommends a tax on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. However, it then recommends that there should be rewards for farmers for land management that sequesters carbon.

Again adopting a balanced approach, it stipulates that any resulting revenue would be reinvested to support climate-friendly agricultural practices. The objective is to have a system that would provide for a just transition to what it is hoped will be an emissions-diminished or emissions-free form of agriculture while also protecting farmers. I highly recommend that members read some of the papers submitted to the Citizens' Assembly, which I looked back at while preparing for today and which are very interesting. In particular, that recommendation is largely based on a paper by Alan Matthews which emphasises that there should be a just transition and farmers should be protected.