Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Commissioner is welcome. Like him, I am from the south east. I thank him for his update on what the Commission is doing. The engagement between the Commission and national parliaments is positive and should happen more, so I am pleased to see that the Commissioner will be attending the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine later today to discuss issues in greater depth. I am conscious, therefore, of the opportunity that we as Irish representatives have in the Commissioner's presence in the Seanad. I hope that we can address a wide range of topics related to agriculture and rural development without getting stuck on one or two aspects of the Commissioner's wider brief, as so often happens in terms of agriculture.

As the Green Party member of the Seanad's agricultural panel, I am interested in review and reform of CAP. The commitment from member states to a stable and adequate budget for the programme is essential. Countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria have significant and strong records on environmentalism and playing a part in fighting climate change, so I would argue that they would be happier to support a policy that was considerably stronger in tackling climate change and improving the environment and habitats in rural areas. Farmers, who do more to protect the environment and engage in positive social contributions to their communities, deserve some form of reward. I hope that the Commissioner, his colleagues in DG AGRI and member state governments will seek to entice countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria into remaining our steadfast partners by allowing them to sell CAP in the way it should be, that being, as a comprehensive and well-rounded package of measures that support farming communities, agribusiness and industry, promote good environmental health and contribute to solving the climate crisis. Currently, it is perceived in those countries as being mere handouts to farmers, which is difficult for them to argue for domestically, given the often industrial scale of agriculture in their countries.

As the Commissioner is well aware, the European Green Party in the European Parliament has a long and strong record on the greening of CAP. Ours is a vision of an agricultural policy that promotes diversification, something that is severely needed in Irish agriculture, as seen in the recent fodder crisis and the hopelessly low level of horticulture undertaken in Ireland. We need greater supports for less ecologically destructive organic farming practices. We must be honest about the limits that we as a country and a planet can face when discussing increases in herd sizes in Ireland and across Europe.

I did not hear the Commissioner mention forestry policy. Although mostly a national competency, it is intrinsically tied to agriculture, especially as we adapt the way we farm to the warming future ahead. The Seanad discussed this issue yesterday. I am critical of current Government policy, which pushes an environmentally and socially damaging programme of non-native clear-cut monoculture plantations, the exact opposite of what we in the Green Party would advocate. In his reply, will the Commissioner address the next round of CAP talks and how the Union envisages helping member state governments in supporting a sustainable model of forestry that will support farmers, stabilise our soils and improve livelihoods in rural areas?

I would like the Commissioner to address two further issues, those being the controversial reauthorisation of glyphosate and the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides on our pollinators. A number of groups held a large demonstration outside Leinster House yesterday, including the Federation of Irish Beekeepers Associations, which is concerned about the future of pollinators and bee populations. Beekeeping is a way to earn money through small business, for example, the sale of honey and other products related to bees. As such, it would be a shame to see pollinators destroyed by the policy of using pesticides that are killing off various species.