Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Earlier in the summer when we had the sectoral targets discussions, one of my key criticisms was the process. When there were discussions about the targets for agriculture, I was very concerned that farming communities were very worried about what this was going to mean for them and how they were going to meet any of the targets that were being set down. The process that was followed by the Department was back to front. There should have been a plan that spelled out all the different measures farmers could have taken on board to reduce emissions and get the farming sector on board in that regard first, and then the Department should have shown them by how much they needed to reduce their emissions. There was a lack of clarity and concern for farmers. It caused a lot of angst. In light of the fact that this week the Department is going to be publishing the two carbon budgets separately, we could be back into that situation again whereby a figure will be handed to the farming community and they will see in the media that they have to reduce emissions by a specific amount by 2025 for the first carbon budget.

Yet there is still no plan, pathway or defined programme for them to follow. At what stage will there be a plan for farmers that will outline the supports available to them, including the means, mechanisms and measures they can employ to help them to meet these targets that will be published this week?

I also have a comment concerning transport. The Minister spoke earlier about how this sector will be challenging in this context; I agree. He said the reallocation of space, and the political and community will to do that, will be one of the key challenges. Again, I agree with that point, but there are even simpler things that could be done. These include ensuring that the system and services in place now are reliable enough for people. People come to me every day in north Wicklow to tell me that certain buses have not arrived and that they cannot get to work and their children cannot get to school because those buses have not shown up. There is no way anyone could rely on the bus service in Wicklow now. I imagine it is a similar situation throughout the country.

For example, yesterday I read a tweet from someone that stated three 45A bus services had been cancelled, namely, the 17:52, 17:59 and 18:12. People will not take public transport if they cannot expect and be guaranteed that buses will be there when they are meant to be there. This is the key issue the Department needs to examine. This matter is not just about putting in future transport options; it is about ensuring that existing transport options are reliable enough, and that there is accountability when they are not reliable enough and a clear move towards providing a better service.