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

The nature restoration law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the EU to take action in respect of the massive losses of biodiversity in recent decades. The Social Democrats are very supportive of the nature restoration law. It is vital to restore damaged ecosystems to a healthy state in Ireland and across Europe, to attempt to stop the collapse of our wildlife and to slow the progress of the climate crisis. These measures have to be done in collaboration with communities because we need to bring people along with us on climate action. These measures also need to be taken really quickly because we do not have time to wait.

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 frequent and hazardous weather events and increasing destruction to the planet. The scale of biodiversity damage is frightening; one third of our protected species and 85% of our protected habitats are in poor condition.

From my perspective, the major initiatives and successes the Government has had to date could be summarised as baby steps when it comes to the actual crisis we are facing and the need for action and the scope of that action. While I welcome those baby steps, they are not big enough or quick enough. They are not at the scale we need. To date, we have not even done a fraction of what is required. The Environmental Protection Agency stated that if every measure in the Government’s climate action plan was fully implemented - which we know will not happen - emissions would fall by 29% by 2030. If we continue our current path, it will result in the unthinkable.

The restoration of peatlands is essential. When these bogs were in their natural condition, the carbon within them was contained. Once they were drained, the carbon they once stored was released into the atmosphere. According to the International Peatlands Society, Ireland’s peatlands are estimated to emit the equivalent of around 8.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Bringing these bogs back to a state where they can once again store carbon is absolutely essential in meeting our climate targets and restoring the native biodiversity that flourished within them.

One thing which continues to be spoken about in the context of the nature restoration law is that the State could meet its targets out to 2030 and 2040 on State land. That will not happen unless the remit of both Coillte and Bord na Móna is changed in order that biodiversity becomes a key priority of theirs rather than having a purely commercial remit, which is what they have at the moment. There was no change to the remit of Coillte and Bord na Móna in the Government's biodiversity plan, which was the absolute primary missed opportunity in all of this. If the Government had brought that in, we would have seen the systems changes we need to see in this country to start addressing biodiversity loss.

I will use one species, the hen harrier, as an example. On paper, the hen harrier the most protected and studied species in Ireland. Yet, from 2015, when there was a breeding population of between 108 to 157 pairs, we are down to between 85 and 106 pairs. That is a 59% decline, which is almost one third, since 2000. This species will be extinct in 25 years unless we make the changes required. That means making tough decisions when it comes to where Coillte is planting and how peatlands are being managed. Currently, there is more breeding happening outside special protection areas, SPAs, for this species than there is within them because of the level of afforestation in those SPAs. That does not make any sense at all.

When we get protection measures right, we get matters right for farmers as well. On "Morning Ireland", Mr. Jonathan Blackmore, a beef farmer from Co. Limerick, talked about his land and how he used to see it as wasteland when it was designated as having hen harrier status. He said it was like the death knell for their family and for their land. When they went through the process and learned how valuable their land actually was and that this poor and unproductive land was actually rich and valuable and worth fighting for, the pride in his voice could be heard when he spoke about that. Farmers and landowners are doing the heavy lifting. They will also have to do it when it comes to protecting this species. The Government needs to do more so that it is not overseeing the extinction of this species. It will be extinct in 25 years, and that will be the legacy of this Government if it does not get this right.

Mrs. Oonagh Duggan of BirdWatch Ireland has stated the Government is quietly quitting on this iconic bird. Hearing her say that was such a strong statement and it is important to put it on the record. It is not something this Government wants as its legacy. I ask the Minister of State to prioritise changing the remits of Coillte and Bord na Móna. If we are committed to restoring our biodiversity, this is how we do it. If the State bodies we have are not changed to reflect biodiversity, nature and the crisis we are in and continue solely on a for-profit basis, all those other nature restoration laws will mean nothing. We will never meet them and they will just be a target.

There has been an incredible amount of scaremongering about this law, particularly directed at farmers. We need to be really clear that there is no future for farming unless we protect our ecosystems and our biodiversity. Comments from elected representatives about how any kind of climate action is bad for Irish agriculture are irresponsible.

You would swear that farming communities have nothing at stake in relation to climate change, but the opposite is true. We arguably have the most to lose from extreme weather events and biodiversity loss. Most people agree on the need for substantial action to address the climate and biodiversity crisis, including many farmers I speak to. It is deeply frustrating when this discussion pits farmer against farmer and farmers against environmentalists. It presumes that farmers do not care about the disastrous impacts of climate change or do not fully understand the issue. This is insulting to farming communities and simply is not true. There is no future for the agriculture sector if we fail to take climate action and no future for farming if emissions continue to rise, soil and water quality continues to degrade and more and more biodiversity is lost.

The nature restoration law is a substantial step forward, but it is not enough on its own. The legally binding target for the reduction of emissions is 51%. We are not any closer to meeting that target than we were 12 months ago. Our planet is facing an existential crisis. It is past time the Government started to act like it.

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