Mr. Billy Kelleher:

In response to Senator Malcolm Byrne, we have consistently called those members out in the sense that we normally vote against them on these issues. I refer to Irish MEPs. There is a body of MEPs out there and what is strange that they come from both the extreme left and extreme right and seem to coalesce around this issue of support for Russia, China and others who champion the abuse of human rights. That is a significant challenge. I am rarely on the same page, in terms of voting, with members who propose those viewpoints. We have to consistently highlight the fact that these are not representative of the overall views of Irish people, the Government and Irish elected representatives.

Of course, we live in a democracy. We do not want to sanction free speech. At the same time, however, we are obligated to exercise our views and to ensure they are heard as well, in terms of condemning the actions of countries that those MEPs support, such as Russia, Iran and other countries in which there are horrendous cases of human rights abuses. We must always condemn them, as well as those who support and advocate for them. We consistently do so.

With regard to Senator Lombard's views on CAP reform and just transition, the CAP reform is probably the most significant policy to be published. Two things will underpin it. First and foremost is the strategic plan that will be presented by the Government to the European Commission and whether that will be approved in the coming days. The CAP proposal, which came from the European Parliament and was eventually agreed last year, allowed member states certain flexibility. Of course, when one gives member states flexibility, one gives them choices and when one gives them choices, people have different opinions as to where those priorities should be. That was always an issue. Convergence, the capping of payments and complementary redistributed income support for sustainability, CRISS, payments are contentious in Ireland.

However, from a CAP perspective, the real issues that will impact on farming in the years ahead, leaving aside market volatility, which we see with pig farmers, though we also see positivities at present in terms of beef, sheep, milk and cereal prices, are the biodiversity and farm to fork strategies that will flow from CAP. They will have very stringent obligations on farming.

That is why I go back to the issue around just transition. The single biggest opportunity for the Irish agricultural industry and, potentially, the single biggest failing for the Government, if it does not act on it, will be the need to embrace anaerobic digestion and to incentivise and encourage investment in those areas in order that we mitigate the impacts agriculture will have on the environment. It is a win-win. Germany, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and many other countries are light years ahead of us on that issue. We very much need to advocate for that. It is in our control and we can do so.

With regard to the issue of the Shannon Estuary and what can be done, I was very disappointed that Equinor left the market for wind energy, but I do see significant opportunities on the west coast for deepwater wind energy generation. The science and technology is there. We need to ensure we streamline planning and permission processes in place, as Mr. Kelly outlined, in order that investors have confidence they can get in here and they know, after a number of years, they will either get permission or not to go ahead with something. However, investors will not stay around for ten, 12 or 14 years waiting for permission to be granted. They will go elsewhere.

Foynes is strategically located from the perspective of servicing and maintenance of offshore wind energy. Of course, it is centred around the University of Limerick with Galway up the road, and Cork down the road. The south-west and west regions are ripe for opportunity. One has Shannon Airport, the University of Limerick, Foynes deepwater port, the estuary and potential in Ballylongford and all the other areas feeding in there.

It should and will be a hive of business activity in the years ahead. However, we cannot have the continued prevarication around the granting of strategic planning permissions. They must be streamlined. People should have their right and entitlement to object but it cannot go on indefinitely, which is the case at present.

I thank the Members. It is nice to come back to see this House. I have very fond memories of the place. Certainly, what the Seanad does in terms of advocating or holding to account, observing and scrutinising legislation that flows from Europe is a very significant issue. As was said at the outset, some 60% to 70% of the legislation that is enacted through this House will have come from the promptings of the European Union, through policy, directive or regulation. That is quite a significant amount of legislation.

We are in a new dispensation in our relationship with Europe. We are post Brexit. We will have to be more alert around the issues that are of strategic importance to Ireland. We saw that in terms of the corporation tax. The UK left and very soon the pressure would come on countries that were holding the line on the 12.5% corporation tax rate. We have to be more assertive and more strategic in Europe. The Seanad plays a significant role in that in terms of keeping us to account, keeping us informed and scrutinising policies from the European Union.