Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

In 60 seconds, I will give the Deputy three reasons the farmers of Kerry will be better off by going green. Critically, it is about getting paid, which is what they are really concerned about, for the key role they will have in forestry. We will introduce new agroforestry systems. Farmers can keep farming. They do not have to blanket the whole hill with coniferous, single species, clearfell forest, but agroforestry, where the skill of the farmer is used to know how to put the right trees in the right place and get paid properly for it. It is tricky. The Deputy's brother, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, said in committee that we have been told for 50 years to keep on draining land and now we will have to pay farmers to re-wet land, which is true. They can do that using their skills and knowledge of the land. The Deputy's head is in his hand, but that is where the money is. That is where the supports will be. That is where the European Investment Bank, EIB, the Common Agricultural Policy reform and the world are going. I mentioned Kerry Group, because I believe this has to be a just transition. The small farmers are not being paid properly. Kerry Group will have to account for the emissions its suppliers are creating. That gives us an opportunity to say to Kerry Group, it will have to pay those farmers better. That is where this will be good for farming, in Kerry, as elsewhere. That is real money, that is the real world and that is the real change happening, because climate change is real.

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