Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to hear that the Minister is committed to our climate targets. I know he might be surprised to hear a north Dublin TD who cares about agriculture, but it is something I have studied in college. He has just mentioned the sustainability aspect. To what extent are the CAP payments now tied to the measurable climate targets and how is the Department ensuring these conditions drive genuine change?

Integrated constructed wetlands, ICWs, are brilliant, especially for farm runoff, using a piggery or any alternative to a wastewater treatment plant. They are really low cost and they filter hydrogen and phosphorous naturally. Not only that, a tiered system of integrated constructed wetlands also adds biodiversity to an area and creates a wetland, which is also a natural hold for carbon. I urge the Minister's Department to look into these as an effective, cost-effective and necessary way to solve this.

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