Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone. It is fair to say the 255 pages of the annex of actions will define whether we and the Government are successful or not. Those actions come down to the witnesses and their Departments. No pressure but we are relying on them to get it right.

I have a couple of specifics for two of the Departments. The first is in relation to Mr. Callanan's Department. How many farms fall under the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP? Is it fair to say some of the higher income and more intensive farming may not be involved in CAP? We are reliant on CAP to be greener and fairer next time around and this could drive some of the change but how does the Department aim to drive change in other farms? It is quite a specific number there. Also, how many of the farms use nitrogen fertiliser at present?

Second, for Mr. Lemass's Department, there are independent bodies that define many of the actions around the country. I am thinking in particular of An Bord Pleanála. Mr. Lemass's Department appoints the board but the body is independent. Is the board looking at the 51% currently and applying that in its decisions?

County and city development plans cover every inch of this country and what happens in those plans will decide what kind of planning occurs, where our roads and cycle lanes are and how much parking goes into our cities. Those decisions all fall under those development plans. They are being looked at, proposed by executives like Mr. Mahon and specific elements are being voted on by councillors. I think of a case in Galway where all councillors bar one voted against moving the setback distance at a council area in Galway further from the sea. That is not mitigation but it still applies when we think of all the actions now being made and decided.