Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very concerned about the fact that there has not been any consultation with the farm organisations. This is extremely serious legislation, a very serious regulation, which could result in a potential land-grab so it is concerning. My constituents and the farm organisations in Laois-Offaly have been very proactive in highlighting this and the fact that the rewetting of peatlands is serious and it also takes away control from the landowner. Only today, the Chair hosted a good briefing on forestry and we all learnt about the importance of afforestation in meeting our climate action targets. We are currently behind with that and with meeting the 8,000 ha per year. That means we are now going to have to plant more forestry. These environmental NGOs are doing too much dictating and are being funded to the hilt by the taxpayer. I have called for them to be defunded because it is criminal that they are getting €5.2 billion of funding every year. Some of those taxpayers are farmers and they are the people these NGOs are punishing much of the time. I have made no bones about calling for these organisations to be looked at and overhauled.

You are talking away control from farmers. There is a need now more than ever for afforestation and a forestry policy and for more uptake on that. Again, it is the farmers choice, if they want to do that. These environmental groups cannot have it every way. My question is on the assessment and the need for analysis, which I fully support. It is ludicrous to do something without having the fundamental piece such as an assessment or analysis done in advance. Some member states have done that. That is great as at least some are showing leadership on this issue but have these states influenced the direction of agricultural policy? The reason I ask is that I was very disappointed to see that a KPMG report commissioned by the Irish Farmers' Journalon emissions - it was a particularly good report, I might add - was not taken on board. My concern is if this analysis is done in other member states, we need good examples and evidence of how it is going to influence agricultural policy. We need buy-in from rural Deputies and we need unity among rural Deputies and Government now more than ever. I will certainly work with any Deputy who is sensible and pragmatic but we need to make sure we get this right and resist any attempt to instigate a land grab. I will help in any way I can.

Mr. Keane referred to Sweden in terms of the analysis and the objections were also mentioned but I would like to see some evidence on how the agricultural policy was influenced. That is what we need to do in here. There are more than 12 Green Party Deputies in Leinster House and we need to see action. Much of the time, rural Deputies, whether Government or not, or those who are Independent like myself, are very much on the one page. We need unity and we need to resist this.