Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's amendment on foot of the amendments proposed last week. It brings clarity to how we can work through the ministerial ability to set the removal targets going forward and also how the legislation will work. I am grateful to the Minister and his officials for the briefing last night, as I was deeply concerned about where this was going to go. It is important that we had that discussion. I am very much in favour of the amendment, which will work well for society and for the agricultural community as well.

The last week has been an eye-opener for me in terms of the number of phone calls I received personally and in my office from all over the country regarding the real frustration in the agricultural community on how the Bill has been put forward in recent months. The belief is that a level of engagement is now taking place and that community is beginning to buy into it. That will be the key driver going forward. It will be the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to engage with the agricultural community and that engagement will be the biggest issue going forward. The sector is responsible for a third of the emissions and those involved in it feel they have not been involved in the debate. If anything, they feel the sector did not have a voice when the Bill was being scrutinised in the committee and none of its members was present. The sector is now having a say on the floor of the Seanad. That is something we must work on. It cannot just stop here. The engagement from the agricultural community on this issue is amazing but it wants to have engagement with the Government.

I fully understand the need for the amendment. It has been explained to me in detail that it gives the power to the Minister to work with the legislation to establish that appropriate mechanisms are put in place to ensure we do removals. A key element of the debate was that the ability of the farming and agricultural community to account for removals was not considered. A week later, we have that enshrined in legislation, which is an important step forward. We must build on that.

Very few in the agricultural community are making big money. They are working to bring their families through life, put their children through college and just to survive in society. The agricultural community is getting older and it needs help and resources. In many ways, the CAP reform involves the same budget but it will be distributed differently. Some 25% of CAP money will go on environmental issues, but the other 75% will go on maintaining their standard of living, good or bad as may be. Much work remains to be done and that will be the challenge. I am willing to work with the Minister to ensure we get the message out. The terminology has driven farmers mad in the last week. It was stated that the farming community is the key to this.If it is key and it is left outside the door, it will achieve nothing to meet the genuine challenge to ensure society reaches its targets for 2030. Those targets are significant and I fully understand they will be troublesome to reach. The 2030 targets are substantial but we have a longer timeline for the 2050 targets. The 2030 targets will be challenging for the agriculture community, industry and transportation. We have solutions, expertise and people with the ability to help to get the message out. I am willing to work with everyone to ensure we get that message out. The amendments the Minister has proposed have been helpful. I am willing to work with him in that regard. I fully support the amendment under discussion.