Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The same An Taisce probably does not want us to have houses in rural Ireland either. Anyhow, I believe we need to focus on what we are good at as a nation, which is agriculture.

The Minister should check on the matter, but some of the larger countries in Europe have already put their hands up and said they will not achieve what they are supposed to achieve by 2020. If we are going to have that difficulty then let us be up front with it. Let us say it out. Let the different countries get together in Europe. There is no point in our trying to hide something. At the end of the day, we have come through a serious recession. We need people in jobs. If the dairy industry is going to produce what the Minister is saying, then it is great for jobs. It is going to help people in all parts of Ireland. I do not think anyone with a little common sense would try to prevent jobs by referring to these emissions.

Other countries have a good deal of industry, and this leaves the emissions from their agriculture sectors looking lower. We have a large agriculture sector. That is why our emissions look higher. Many mitigating factors are not taken into account in the agricultural sector, and this needs to be brought across. We need to go out to those in Europe and we need to go ahead and keep people in jobs regardless of what they say.

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