Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

A lot of the debate on this entire issue has been an exercise in grandstanding. Some politicians have seized on the nature restoration law and blatantly stoked up fears for their own benefit - not just Opposition parties and Independents but also Government backbenchers. Of course, they will have to try to be in favour of it in principle to tick the environmental credentials box, while being highly critical of it to satisfy populist demands.

Can we get clarity on the Government’s position on the nature restoration law? The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, has said it is happening; the Taoiseach has said it is going too far; a Fine Gael MEP voted against it; and Fianna Fáil MEPs are not supporting it. What is the Government's actual position on it? When the Minister is meeting his European counterparts, what exactly is he saying? It should also be noted that a Sinn Féin MEP voted against the law at the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

It is important to look at some of the facts. The need for far-reaching climate action simply could not be more urgent. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent assessment report shows a temperature rise of 1.1°C. This has resulted in more frequent and hazardous weather events and increasing destruction to people and the planet. To date, we have not even done a fraction of what needs to be done. Ireland’s emissions are going up, not down. We simply cannot afford to wait any longer. The current trajectory is going to result in the unthinkable. Not only are we in the middle of a climate crisis, the scale of biodiversity damage is frightening. Figures from the National Parks and Wildlife Service show that 91% of protected habitats are in poor or inadequate condition, and more than 50% are declining. Half of our rivers, lakes and coastal waters are ecologically substandard according to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, including 18.5% of monitored rivers being "severely" polluted. You would swear our existence did not depend on this but it does. The status quocannot continue. We need radical change now to the way we live, travel and farm.

The first recommendation of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss is unequivocal, "The State must take prompt, decisive and urgent action to address biodiversity loss and restoration and must provide leadership in protecting Ireland’s biodiversity for future generations." Is there leadership on this? Is the Government going to act on this recommendation? The nature restoration law is a tool to help achieve this. It is a direct response to the climate and biodiversity crisis. It is a funded framework aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems, with a prioritisation of areas with the most potential to capture and store carbon, especially wetlands and peatlands. The proposal also acknowledges that certain groups, such as farmers, will be impacted more than others. Consequently, national and EU funding was proposed to implement the law.

The rewetting of peatlands has emerged as a point of tension and that is understandable. Farmers are looking at the potential impact on their land and livelihoods. However, knee-jerk reactions and meetings to stoke up opposition to this will not do anybody any good. The Minister has already pointed out that these commitments can be met on State-owned land, and the Government’s own climate action plan commits to peatlands restoration anyway. The best and most responsible thing we can do is to look at the proposals and see how we can leverage them to the maximum benefit of family farms in Ireland. That would be a much better use of all of our time and energy.

In a climate crisis, comments from elected representatives about how any kind of climate action is bad for Irish agriculture are irresponsible. You would swear agricultural communities have nothing at stake in relation to climate change but the opposite is true. However, the narrative from both sides of this House results in the communities who will be most affected by climate change being the most reluctant to take any climate action. You could not make it up. Most people agree on the need for substantial action to address the climate and biodiversity crisis and most farmers that I speak to agree. One of the things that really frustrates me about this ridiculous debate that pits farmers against one another and environmentalists is the presumption that somehow farmers either do not care about the disastrous impacts of climate change or that we do not understand them. Either way, it is insulting to farming communities and it is not true.

I have to ask the Deputies, the MEPs and whoever else is opposing this, what exactly is the plan for the future of the agriculture sector, for example, if we do not take climate action. Where do they see the future of the industry if we keep letting emissions rise and allow soil degradation to continue alongside more biodiversity loss? Where will the industry be then?

The crucial thing in all this will be principles of a fair transition. Rural and farming communities need to be supported to make changes, and that will require financial support. In addition, with every policy there is considerably more scope for better engagement and consultation. It is clear from a recent Committee on Environment and Climate Action meeting that there is considerable mistrust of Government policies and promises among farmers. We also need everyone to be responsible and to act in good faith and, crucially, we need everybody to be honest. To all the farmers out there who might not like what I am saying, I want you to know that I will at least be honest. The Social Democrats are fully committed to climate action, to a fair transition and to real honesty around that.

I know, however, that many of the voices claiming to represent rural Ireland today reflect only one position. I am regularly contacted by farmers and others who often - and it is a shame this has to be so - quietly support climate action and recognise the need for change. They recognise that the absence of such action is walking farmers to a cliff edge. We will have to take such action. Short-termism will not help farmers. In the rush to oppose this legislation, its potential both to benefit rural communities and to achieve our climate targets has been overlooked.

The Government could and should have been considerably more proactive on this. A nature restoration fund could immediately provide investment in rural areas for the revitalisation of ecosystems. Farmers and landowners should be rewarded as custodians of natural heritage and our vital biodiversity. As farmers, we are used to being proud of our agriculture. We should continue to do that by being the country that leads the way in truly sustainable agriculture.

I had so much more I wanted to say about this, and there are other aspects to the nature restoration law that have not been discussed today. I really hope we can come back to them at a later stage in this House.

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