Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Every Member can acknowledge the issue of global climate change. We can all agree it is a seismic challenge to the world order and future generations. While that must be acknowledged, the equitable distribution of responsibility across all countries must also be recognised. In our case, it is across our EU community. The latest census shows that there are 5.1 million people in Ireland. At this number, we are not even equivalent to a big city in Europe. Per capitacarbon measurements for Ireland are suggested to be higher than for European neighbours, some of which can be attributed to our agricultural sector. The science of carbon calculation or, dare I say, the lack of it, is also interesting in respect of properly identifying carbon sequestration in our agricultural sector, such as the sequestration that occurs in hedgerows, afforestation and pastureland, along with the beneficial activities of tillage and livestock holding that do much to contribute to the indigenous life cycle of the biosphere. The present trajectory of discussion on rewetting, repurposing and restoration is being conducted in Europe, largely in a vacuum, with respect to any impact assessment of the overall impact on one of the highest-efficiency agricultural models in the EU community. European bureaucrats are examining Ireland's component of high-peat soil content, which hovers close to 18%, while much of the European mainland contains just 3%. Peat-based soils are being targeted for rewetting, repurposing and restoration but who will pay the fair share? Are we to do to our agricultural sector what we did to our fishing sector in the name of European integration? Shall we give away the farm in these restorations?

If we talk about climate change policy, we might talk about the Government's climate policy. The Government has appropriated 384,000 ha to climate change policy. That is 384,000 ha that are not available for farm families in the future to supplement their farm activities, biodiversity or rewetting, etc. Land costs in the country are hovering at €12,000 per acre while land rental per acre is hovering at €500 per acre. These costs are driving smaller farm families and rural farms out of the sector. Agricultural land is at a premium but the effects of this policy will drive it higher. The policy the Government is potentially acquiescing to in driving up land farm costs will also drive people out of the rural and regional community. What does the Government think of the rural community and our regional population in terms of the economic hit to rural and regional Ireland? I fail to understand that in these debates.

A big question is what lands will be repurposed over what period, in addition to lands that will be taken for afforestation, anaerobic digestion and every other issue that may help the European community meet its climate change targets. My uncle, of my own name, was involved in draining the Brickey river, a tributary off the Blackwater Valley in County Waterford, back in the 1960s and 1970s. Much land was reclaimed that is now part of farm holdings in west Waterford. Are those families to be told they must give that land back for the biosphere and biodiversity when they are already doing so much in that area? The impacts have not been qualified. I urge the Minister to seek a proper impact assessment by independent experts to examine what this policy means for Ireland into the future. I also highlight to the Minister and the Green Minister of State sitting beside him that while we discuss repurposing of land and rewetting, etc., there is a climate change agenda that is stuck in the mud. We have been in this Dáil for three years and longer and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, has yet to be formed. We are talking about bringing coastal offshore wind in to help our energy situation and are probably, at this stage, anywhere from eight to ten years in getting that done. We have done nothing to promote hydrogen policy; we have not even produced our hydrogen policy statement, three years into the climate change agenda. Beyond that, we are failing to achieve what we need to for the future of this country, which is a recognition of the special, official place Irish agriculture holds in EU economic delivery.

At this moment, we have mulch coming up from South America to be used for biomass to generate electricity here. We have the potential for Mercosur beef to bring about the cutting down of the Amazonian rainforest and for that meat to be brought to the EU. At the same time, we are also talking about limiting and hurting the potential of the economy of our regions and rural areas. We must look at this situation in a significant way.

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