Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is the way to go. We need to build prosperity in rural Ireland on the infrastructure of the future. We also need to help farming to do it.

There is a major job to be done in persuading the European Union to change the way it approaches agriculture. It does not value the modifications made in respect of methane emissions nearly enough. Farmers should be well rewarded where they make modifications to those emissions. The EU does not recognise our greater efficiency in agriculture, especially dairy, and that needs to change. We do not yet have a proper tool to reward farmers who invest in sequestration of peatlands or other lands. That has to change. We need policy tools to persuade farmers to come on this road with us.

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