Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this important issue. I believe, as does the Government, that the proposed regulation to which she refers provides an opportunity for transformative change with regard to achieving nature restoration in Ireland and in the EU as a whole. That is absolutely to be welcomed. She made reference to yesterday's EPA report and the challenges we face when it comes to water quality in watercourses across the country. Healthy ecosystems provide food and food security, clean water, carbon sinks and protection against natural disasters caused by climate change.

As previously outlined, Ireland remains absolutely supportive of the ambition and principles underpinning the regulations. There is a challenge involved in meeting the ambition proposed, and that remains significant. One need only look to the debates that are happening across the European Union and in the European Parliament to see that is the case. Among the challenges we face are the extremely tight timeframes for quantification of targets and measures for the preparation of national restoration plans and the delivery of targets. There will be a need for a considerable level of scientific data collection, collation and analysis, including emerging information from the land use review. The resources required for preparing, implementing and monitoring the national restoration plan are not currently in place.

Anything farmers will be asked to do will be voluntary, and they will be supported financially in the context of any measures that need to be taken. The Deputy is right to raise that issue, because it is not a question of pitting farmers against biodiversity. My experience in north County Dublin and across the country is that farmers, in the main, are protectors of the environment and biodiversity. They understand it, as do our communities. For argument's sake, we can take the success of the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES. Some 46,000 farmers signed up to its largest ever agri-environmental scheme. This shows that farmers are leading from the front and playing their part. They are being rewarded for taking measures to combat climate change. Rewetting is one of the many tools, and this is a matter in respect of which there has been scaremongering. It is one of the many tools to meet our restoration commitments. Under the Council's proposals for regulation the extent of rewetting required would be at the discretion of the member state. Ireland will be relying on State lands, such as those owned by Coillte and Bord na Móna, to facilitate the majority of rewetting required. There should be no fear in the sector of measures being taken without individual farmers or farming communities having the choice to op in voluntarily. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, has outlined both the significant flexibility under the Council's proposals and the fact that agriculture production is not expected to be significantly or adversely affected. State lands will contribute almost all of the initial commitment in this space. This is an important time for the member states of the European Union to act together positively with regard to nature restoration. There are discussions and debates happening, which is appropriate.

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