Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms O’Neill and Professor Matthews for their comprehensive answers to Senator O’Reilly. I am mindful that we have just over ten minutes left. Deputies Cronin and Farrell are waiting patiently to come in for a second round. However, I have a question and I ask the witnesses to be as brief as they can be in their answers.

To an extent, every member of this committee, our guests and probably society want to protect farming. At least, we want to protect livelihoods in farming and in rural Ireland. I do not think there is too much disagreement on that. Apropos of Deputies Cronin and Whitmore’s earlier questions on just transition, it seems to me that there has been a communications failure around the changes that will be required. While we want to protect livelihoods, we also accept that major changes are going to be required in agriculture.

Will the witnesses comment on what a national dialogue might look like and how it could enhance consultation and communication? Ultimately, fairness is not achieved without those things. I am quite inspired by the work of Stop Climate Chaos. I direct that question to Ms O'Neill in particular. Does she have a view on what such a dialogue might look like?

My second question relates to carbon leakage. The witnesses have touched on the issue throughout our discussion but it has not been dealt with in any great detail. There is an argument that if we do not produce beef or dairy products here, then other countries with lesser environmental standards, or those that might be more willing to sacrifice ecology, will produce that food and, ultimately, we will import it. Will the witnesses comment on that? I am sorry that I must ask them to be reasonably brief. I need to go back to Deputies Cronin and Alan Farrell in the time remaining to us.