Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed)

12:00 pm

Photo of Bríd SmithBríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank our guest for his presentation and for his directness and honesty. I do not know of many people in this House who want to hear phrases such as "Tell it like it is", "Don't blame it on somebody else" and "If you can't do it yourself, don't ask others to do it". We had the farming organisations here recently saying that if we do not increase the herd and export the cattle, then the Brazilians or the New Zealanders will do it. It would drive anyone mad that the argument that we would not make a start ourselves is wheeled out so much. I really appreciate our guest's honesty.

The whole issue of land use, what we eat and how we produce what we eat must be the subject of a major discussion. There is no better country than Ireland to have that discussion. We have lots of fallow land and lots of farmers who want to remain so and who could diversify. We need to have that discussion in an honest way.

If he does not mind, I will call refer to our guest by the title "Mr." because I find it strange referring to someone as "Lord".