Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Before I start, I want to call out Deputy Danny Healy-Rae's nasty attack. I was elected to the Seanad and appointed to Cabinet under the Irish Constitution which he should go and read. How dare he cast aspersions on my right to be here. I find his constant tirades at me in this Chamber quite awful.

Anyway, I return to the debate at hand. As my colleague the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, said at the outset of this debate, this House declared a biodiversity crisis in 2019. It is essential that we act by bringing forward measures to halt and reverse that crisis. However, in doing so we must dispel the fears of rural communities and assure them that restoring nature will bring benefits to their way of life and their livelihood, their communities and, of course, the next generation.

Almost half the earth's animal species are in serious decline. Here in Ireland, we have lost 90% of our wetlands and we have also lost nearly 500 near-pristine freshwater sites since the 1980s because of pollution. We need to work collectively to address this and that means all of us. A significant amount of the public commentary on the nature restoration law has been focused solely on farmers, but this law goes way beyond farming to address coastal ecosystems, rivers, urban areas, Annex 1 habitats and many other areas. It can be really positive for our country if we get it right. It can be hugely positive for farmers too. There has been a lot of misinformation. Deputy Mattie McGrath said, "We are not climate deniers." He thinks the lady doth protest too much.

Restoring nature in this country is something many Irish farmers are already doing. Many farmers I know are passionate about the nature on their farms. They are the custodians of their lands and many of them are embracing and engaging in agri-environmental schemes, including Deputy Michael Collins who an organic farmer, engaging in LIFE projects across the country. They are turning to organic farming in the thousands, encouraged by Government which stands behind them and supports them to take these actions so they can prepare their farms for a sustainable future. Farmers want to plant native trees and they want to protect water. More than 46,000 farmers have voluntarily joined ACRES. More than 4,000 have become organic farmers and hundreds more are engaging in LIFE projects is specific areas across Ireland that specifically aim to restore nature and wildlife to some of our most precious habitats.

Nature restoration is already happening and the nature restoration law is happening. It is our job to engage with it and improve it every step of the way. That is what we have been doing to date and that is what we will continue to do. It is regrettable that some parties in the European Parliament have set their faces against it and in doing so deprived themselves of the ability to influence and improve it. As a Minister of State, I am committed to the nature restoration law.

I want to assure farmers across the country that despite what many are saying, nobody is coming for their land. The vast majority of rewetting targets to be met by 2030 and beyond can and will take place on public lands. However, any farmer who voluntarily wishes to take part will be paid to do so. That is a simple fact. Farmers are already doing this through the farm payments for ecological and agricultural transitions, FarmPEAT, environmental project, a project I launched in August 2021. We all know Irish agriculture has many challenges ahead, but we are making progress. However, there is still some way to go.

Productive farming of the future will be about more than just food production. It will require that food is produced in a way that improves water quality, restores biodiversity, cleans our air and reduces our emissions. Embracing system change is essential because tinkering around the edges will not suffice. It is also regrettable that the debate on the nature restoration law has opened up to old fault lines, pitching one group against another which simply serves to halt progress. Experience in this job has shown me that environmentalists and farmers can achieve amazing things when they work together. If we consider some of the fantastic work that has been done to date on our LIFE projects and in the efforts made on blanket bog restoration, nature and farming can coexist. It is absolutely vital we embrace it and stop the division.

We cannot allow this law to be derailed by disinformation. We must continue to work with Europe to deliver a law to restore nature across the European Union. We need to rebuff the narrative that being environmentally responsible and pro-nature is a bad thing. We have seen the demise of our natural world which is down to human activity including agriculture; that cannot be disputed. Therefore, doing nothing is not an option especially when it comes to nature restoration. It is incumbent on all of us in this House to reassure people across Ireland that this law can be positive for the country, for nature, for our farmers, for biodiversity and for species that need it to prevent their decline. Week in and week out, I see farmers embracing new ways of farming on their land. They are already delivering for nature and this law can further that cause by working with them. Together we can restore nature in this country to the benefit of everyone.

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