Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak in favour of both amendments, Nos. 1 and 92. We are at a critical time of change for agriculture. This Bill is coming through the House as the Common Agricultural Policy negotiations are coming to an end. The new CAP policy will mean significant changes for farmers. Pillar 1 payments will now have a direct link to an eco scheme for 25%, which has not happened previously. That, coupled with this Bill, means farmers will be dealing with a lot. There is a lot of change happening and they must be supported.

Both amendments highlight the unique nature of the agricultural sector to Ireland, the Irish economy and the Irish way of life in our communities right across the country. We are an agricultural country. We have always been a very strong producer of good quality food and premium products and I hope we will always be. However, in order for that to happen we have to facilitate farming at that level. It makes sense to take removals and sequestration into account in the budget and acknowledge that they play a role in the overall emission outputs. As Senators Higgins and Paul Daly pointed out, it is important to acknowledge the work farmers are doing in this space and facilitate them making those changes in a reasonable manner. I agree with Senator Dooley that farmers are to the fore on this issue. They know the responsibility that is on their shoulders to meet the climate challenge and they are already moving ahead and making innovative changes on their farms right across the country. We have to acknowledge that.

Other sectors in the economy, and not just agriculture, will have to play a role here. Transport is a key sector. Each and every citizen also has a personal responsibility to make those vital changes in their homes and lives to help to meet the climate challenge we face, both in this country and across the globe. The emissions reductions we aspire to achieve, and will achieve, require a significant reduction in this sector. We need to make that achievable and doable and we need to help our farmers to do it. At the end of the day, one of the reasons we have a Common Agricultural Policy and are focused on having a good working agricultural sector in this country is that ultimately, we want to produce good quality food for our citizens at an affordable price. We need to make sure that being in agriculture actually pays people. To focus on that point, we face a particular challenge in encouraging young people into farming and retaining people in full-time farming. Both these amendments are an important step towards ensuring the future of farming viability in this country and supporting farmers in all regions to maintain farming as a way of life and as a sustainable way of making a living and rearing and supporting their families. I am in favour of both of these amendments.