Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)

Thanks for letting me sneak in. I have a few questions and apologise if I am duplicating what colleagues have already asked. In the context of imports and exports from Ireland and Europe vis-à-vis Mercosur and other trade agreements, at what stage is Ireland's land use review at? I ask this for two reasons, one of which is self-sufficiency for future food production and the other is the distribution of land for the location of renewable energy infrastructure. I come from east Meath where the best of tillage land is being used, in the absence of guidelines, for solar, battery storage, gas peaking plants and so on, which I completely acknowledge is necessary but I am wondering if there is an overall plan. If not, why not? It is important, in my humble opinion, in the context of the bigger picture involving Mercosur, CETA and any other trade agreements.

On the CETA agreement, there will be corporate compensation for loss of business going forward but is there any reciprocity there? I am thinking in particular of the example of Irish agriculture. Depending on how Mercosur and other trade agreements play out, the Irish farming community, as a business, may be facing potential losses. Is CETA done and dusted and agreed or is there any chance of incorporating reciprocity for potential Irish agrifood losses going forward?

Finally, in terms of potential developing markets in far flung places like Indonesia, the Philippines and so on, in the context of the transportation of goods and the net carbon output of that, what overall planning is taking place vis-à-vis the potential loss of domestic food production and inter- and intra-European transfers? It seems to me that we have climate hypocrisy here. On the one hand, the trade deal makes everything hunky-dory from a carbon perspective and we negate that and yet we have different levies on the citizen, domestic businesses and the farming community through the nitrates derogation, the water framework directive and so on. I just wonder if there is anybody, anywhere doing an overall balancing exercise on the net carbon tonnage. I hope that makes sense. When I saw this meeting on the board I decided I would drop in. I would say the Chair is sorry he let me in.