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Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Michael Creed: ...which does not compromise the capacity for sustainable food production", as referred to in the national mitigation plan. This is consistent with the principles of both the Paris Agreement and the European Council conclusions of October 2014, which recognise the role of agriculture and land use in tackling climate change and their contribution to achieving climate ambitions. With what is...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Michael Creed: ...is preparing its first statutory adaptation plan for the three areas identified in the national adaptation framework, for which my Department has responsibility, including seafood, agriculture and forestry. We published an adaptation planning document for the agriculture and forest sector last year and advanced work on the seafood element, which will set the groundwork for future...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Paul Daly: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his comprehensive statement. As Members are all aware, the agrifood sector supports 300,000 jobs in rural communities where they are most needed, and it is our largest indigenous industry, with food and drink exports reaching €12 billion in 2018. When we discuss progress on climate action, we have to be cognisant of these facts and always...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Ian Marshall: I thank the Minister for coming before the House to present to us on this interesting topic. The work of the Oireachtas joint committee on climate change and the environment is certainly worthwhile, but there are grave concerns that sometimes the proportion of blame attributed in the work to agriculture and transport is perhaps unfair. I refer the House to a piece of work published this...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Tim Lombard: ...society itself. This debate is very welcome. As Senator Marshall just mentioned, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action is doing extraordinary work going through the various scenarios and where agriculture fits into them. I note that several members of the committee are here today. That work will be very important for the agriculture community, which is fearful of how this...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Energy and food security are the two most important sovereignty issues facing Ireland over the coming decade. Agriculture and rural land are the pillar upon which both of these are built. As the world shifts globally from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy, successive Governments have been sitting on their hands and have failed to provide the leadership required to guide the...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Kevin Humphreys: It was uplifting when the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act was passed by the Oireachtas. I thought it was a sound foundation on which to build, but, unfortunately, there has been no follow-through. The one thing that has operated extremely well is the expert advisory group which is being excellently chaired by Mr. John Fitzgerald. In many ways, it has held the Government to...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Kevin Humphreys: They stated what was happening here was not acceptable and that we had to change and make progress. It is their future we are putting in danger and that of other young people all over the planet. It is no excuse to say this is a small country and what we do is just a drop in the ocean. We must show leadership and take responsibility for our own actions. We must reduce our carbon...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

David Norris: I was interested to see that the Government stuck the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, into the House to take this debate. The first three speakers were farmers. More power to them. My grandfather was a farmer. It seems quite clear that the Government's objective is to protect the farmers' interests, and there is no sense of urgency whatsoever. I found the...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Diarmuid Wilson: The Minister, Deputy Creed, is the first of a number of Ministers to appear, and he is very welcome to the House.

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

David Norris: Of course the Minister is welcome to the House, but he did not say one thing on this issue that was in the slightest bit convincing. It was all bland comment. We were told that there is nothing to get upset or worried about. Where are we in legislative terms? We had the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018, passed by 78 to 48, which...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister to the House. I completely disagree with my colleague. The Minister's speech was well balanced and reassuring. It was a good appraisal of where we are going on this. His conclusion spoke of collaboration, co-operation and collective responsibility, words that sum up where we need to go and the importance of this issue. We have to balance how we execute our...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am delighted to see the Minister back in the House. It was a good decision by the Leader and others to ensure that we get a good conversation with each Department. We all felt that the sitting in December was not very satisfactory in terms of looking at climate action in each area. It is good, therefore, that we will have separate discussions with the various Ministers. I will pick up...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Michael Creed: I thank all the Senators for their contributions. I am loath to pick out individual Senators and make points of refutation or acknowledgment because I have taken copious notes and we in the Department are actively considering the issue. If it were not for the enormity of Brexit, this issue would be front and centre of all our deliberations. As Senators will know, there is now a clear focus...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Michael Creed: I appreciate that and I was not targeting the Senator's point. There is constant mixed messaging about sequestration, of which afforestation is a critical part, and we need farmers to plant more trees. I have made the point ad nauseamthat we cannot expect any one area of the country to carry all the obligation. I fully acknowledge Senator Paul Daly's point about soil management. Soil...

Seanad: Progress in Relation to Climate Change: Statements (14 Feb 2019)

Diarmuid Wilson: I thank the Minister and Senators for their contributions. When is it proposed to sit again?