Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

There have been two worrying developments in the past few days that merit discussion and a moment for us to pause and reflect. The first was a public meeting in Ballinasloe over the weekend on the nature restoration law. Many of us have spoken previously on the importance and value of restoring nature and the potential opportunities this can offer both urban and rural Ireland. Restoring nature should not be controversial but the weekend meeting, in its tone and tenor, was allowed to spiral out of control to a point where speakers were shouted down and one attendee advocated throwing my party leader off the Cliffs of Moher. This is an utterly regrettable poisoning of the debate which has been sliding in this direction for some time, ably added and abetted by some Members of the Oireachtas who say that my party's aim is to destroy agriculture. To them, I say, "Grow up." This is a culture war being waged for political and electoral gain and it must stop. If we cannot restore nature through agriculture, we will not be able to restore it at all because, despite what some might want, farming is here to stay. That is why we need everyone to back nature restoration. Anyone opposing the nature restoration regulation is not fighting for farmers who want to protect nature. Instead, they are fighting for polluting industries, for the oil companies and fertiliser companies, and for the industries which maximise profits off the backs of farmers and the environment. They are fighting for business as usual but, unfortunately, business as usual will not protect nature.

The second issue of great concern is the RTÉ Investigates programme which aired last night. The footage shown was sickening and unacceptable and brings an entire industry into disrepute. If Irish farming is to provide a sustainable way of life for future generations, as it must, it is fundamental that the highest standards of animal welfare are central to that. The vast majority of farmers are committed to ensuring their animals are well cared for and are appalled by the RTÉ footage, but last night's programme shows that issues exist and we must face up to that reality. I welcome the response from my Department, which has committed to taking robust and timely action. It has requested that RTÉ provide it with all the footage and information available so that it can investigate this matter fully and take appropriate action. No stone will be left unturned. However, it is clear that the dairy sector has a massive challenge in addressing not only the animal welfare issues associated with the current model but also the significant environmental impacts. Its reputation is under continual scrutiny and it will take real leadership from the industry to put in place a model which addresses the significant and reputational challenges.