Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is an extremely important piece of legislation. As we are discussing this tonight, 160 million people in the world are starving in famine conditions. As we speak, 2 billion people in the world tonight do not have an adequate diet. While we have to, therefore, recognise that as a country we must face up to climate change and reduce our emissions, we also must accept that we have a responsibility to produce food in this country.

We are the most sustainable producers of dairy in the world and the fifth most sustainable producers of beef. There is, therefore, a huge responsibility on us to produce food for the world population. And yet, some commentators say we do not have a moral responsibility. The response is yes; we have. We must do it in a sustainable way, however.

I hope we will start to embrace the available technology. Much new technology is available to reduce emissions. Those commentators come out with the easy, lazy line that we have to cut the national herd. That option has to be completely off the table. It makes absolutely no sense from a world population point of view. Economically, for Ireland as a country, it is a route we just cannot go down. I say yes; produce food sustainably and adopt modern technologies. The modern technologies are there but the issue is in dealing with slurry, the use of renewable energy, advancement in fertiliser use, protected ureas, etc. We are significantly behind the rest of Europe and the rest of the world in embracing many of these new technologies which can help us reduce our emissions.

I am a member of the Government but there are some parts of this Bill to which I will refer. Last year, the Climate Change Advisory Council recommended that a separate budget for biogenic methane should be incorporated into this Bill. I regret that is not there. I accept that there is recognition of the different components of biogenic methane and the fact it is a short-lived gas. I accept that recognition will be taken of the importance of the agrifood industry to the country and the importance of our national herd. I would like if that had been written into the Bill. As has been stated already, New Zealand has adopted that practice; a country with a very much similar profile to us. The Bill recognises biogenic methane as a separate gas. The Minister will have a responsibility to ensure there is a separate budget when this comes to his door. As I said, we have a huge responsibility in this country. We have the ability to produce food in a very sustainable manner.

I also mention the ability of our agrisector to sequester carbon. Again, I would like more recognition in this Bill of the change in practice that will be adopted going forward, and the extra carbon that will be sequestered by farmers. There needs to be a plus column for that and a recognition of the ownership of that sequestration of carbon. Again, that is something I would like the Minister to take on board and accept. Farmers are fully conscious of their role as custodians of the environment. It is in their interest, more than anyone else, to preserve our green image we so vehemently protect. Biogenic methane and our ability to sequester carbon must be recognised.

I mention our forestry sector and our failure over the last number of years to meet targets as regards afforestation. Over the last five years, we are 15,000 ha short of the target set by various Governments. Taking into account felling and replanting, the ability to have that 15,000 ha in their lifetime would sequester 75 million tonnes of carbon. There is, therefore, a huge responsibility on this Government to get our forestry sector into gear. We have had numerous discussions in this House and at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, of which I am Chairman, about the ineptitude of the Department at the moment in issuing licences, and the way it has paralysed our forestry sector. While that is bad enough economically and doing huge damage to the forestry sector, whether it is the farmers, millers or timber contractors - the list goes on - the imbalance that is doing for our sequestration of carbon is also a huge factor.

I appeal to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to push the issue at the Cabinet table that our Department must start issuing licences. The Department told us that it will issue 4,500 licences per year. During the month of May, it was at 40 or 45 licences per week, which means it will find it hard to hit 2,000 licences in this calendar year. I also spoke to a nursery owner today who told me that we will be lucky to hit 25% of the target for afforestation, which is set at 8,000 ha for this year. We can, therefore, do a lot to increase our carbon sequestration in this country. I accept that there is provision in the Bill for biogenic methane. I would prefer if a separate budget was set in the Bill for it. Hopefully, the Minister will take that on board.

There must also be a recognition of the ability of the agrisector in terms of carbon sequestration. And yes; farmers are nervous of this Bill. Farmers also recognise that they have to adapt. While we are virtually the most sustainable producers of food in the world, we must recognise that climate change is a fact of life and our practice has to change. However, that cannot affect the economic sustainability of food production in this country.

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