Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I have worked in the environmental sector since I was 17 years of age, as a scientist, a policymaker and now within the Dáil. I can be absolutely clear with the Taoiseach that I and the Social Democrats want him to achieve when it comes to the climate as we need him to do so. We have worked constructively with the Government on this issue since the Taoiseach entered office in this Dáil.

The reality is that agriculture accounts for one third of our greenhouse emissions. Farmers will have a very significant role to play when it comes to us hitting our targets. Farmers are very good at doing what the Government asks and pays them to do. They will put their shoulder to the wheel and will do it but they need leadership from this Government. The Government, by minimising the role and the targets farmers will have to meet, is doing farmers a disservice because it is not giving them the time they will need to prepare and it is not providing them with the technological and financial supports they will need. By saying farmers will only have to have a reduction of 10%, that is not going to achieve the targets we need them to achieve. Will the Taoiseach please be honest with targets? Honesty is the best environmental and economic policy for our farmers and they need him to lead on this.

See this speech in context