Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for letting me in to the committee. The Minister said something very interesting about requiring transformational change and that we cannot be doing business as usual. To that end, the civil servants have been there longer than the Minister. The Minister is new to the role. We have a monumental challenge that we never had before. We have never had a climate action plan. We need huge diversification. Whatever about climate scientists being asked about it in the Department, I do believe that we need experts in land use and alternative farming methods. The core of the Government's approach to agriculture is to facilitate diversification. We cannot have business as usual. The Department officials and the Minister will have to look at expertise on diversification.

When the sectorial ceilings for agriculture were set last summer we all anticipated that the Department would bring forward new supports to help farmers to diversify. The Minister mentioned organic farming. It is Dublin, which is brilliant, but it is 2.9% of the land. Out of 137,500 farmers there are 4,000 going organic. That is great, it is small and it is beautiful but we have a climate and a biodiversity emergency so, unfortunately, it is on the Minister and the Department now to upskill in a huge way. The new acres are great on paper. It is brilliant that there are 30,000 or 46,000, which is also amazing, but who has the skills and who are the inspectors who have the knowledge to make sure it is not box ticking as it was in the past? I know with the GLAS inspectors it was "Yes, biodiversity, just tick the box." We cannot do that anymore. How is the Minister going to upscale and upskill staff and inspectors in order to meet these targets? We can talk about diversification, literally until the cows come home, but how do we have the expertise? We do not have them in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister does not have them and I do not have them.

I live on a small farm, my sister is a farmer and all of my neighbours are farmers. I see a lot happening unfortunately, that still benefits big dairy. Big dairy is 10% of the farmers of Ireland. Even though it is only 10% big dairy has a huge part to play in carbon reduction. We must differentiate between big intensive dairy farming and small farmers of the land, whether they are dry, suckler or dairy. There is a huge difference. Often the issues we are facing in climate reduction in carbon reduction would have to be zoned in on the large intensive dairy farmers but that is not what I see happening here. Is there a clear plan as to how we get to 25%? Is it 5% per year for the next five years or is it 3% each year for the next seven years?

For someone living on a small farm I see a lot happening that protects the large dairy intensive farmer and does not really support the small farmer so much. We must put more emphasis on the responsibility of the large intensive dairy farming around their carbon emissions, the nutrients and the nitrate uses. The larger the farm the more they will use, so of course the more responsibility they have. I see smaller family farmers feeling afraid that they are the ones going to take the biggest hit. One must consider the 10% of farmers that are large dairy farmers and the huge part they have to play first and foremost, instead of frightening the smaller farmers. Those who try to diversify are the most inspected, and are almost harassed, which is a word I have seen used when farmers do try to diversify.

I have seen raw cheese companies close down. As for small dairy farmers moving milk, it is great that they bring milk to the people but they have almost had to close given the level of money they are making. It seems the Department takes EU recommendations to the nth degree when it comes to small farmers.

Flooding is also a huge issue for small farmers. We need to do more about it. I have invited the Minister to come to Pickering with me and I will follow up with him on that. We need to get flooding nailed and the Arterial Drainage Act is a huge issue.