Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It would be helpful if the Minister could confirm that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is carrying out an appraisal of the current proposals in respect of what they will mean for land holdings on a county-by-county basis, whether they will mean a reduction in the land that is available for agricultural use and, if that is the case, how that will be managed or how the Government will approach those discussions at European level. We are living in a biodiversity crisis and that will mean that major decisions will have to be made. However, a large portion of the land that may be affected comprises private land holdings that are currently being used to produce good quality food. We need to approach this sensitively. What would be helpful first is a full appraisal and evaluation of what this could mean if implemented in its current guise. Then we can make the collective decision the Minister spoke of on what Ireland's position needs to be and how we can try to come to that position at EU level.

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