Malcolm Noonan (Green Party)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as teacht chuig an Teach ar maidin. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis. As this is my first formal engagement with the Minister of State, I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the best for his tenure.

In the context of the challenges around meeting climate targets from every sector under our national climate action plan, the ongoing work around the development of a national nature restoration plan in line with the nature restoration regulation and the development of a coherent network of marine protected areas around the Irish coast, as well as many other opportunities for Ireland in socioeconomic development, will the Minister of State outline to the House the Government's engagement on negotiations around the shaping of the next EU multi-annual financial framework, MFF, covering the period 2028 to 2035? With a proposed budget of €1.2 trillion, the MFF represents an incredible opportunity for Ireland and all member states to make progress towards a zero carbon, nature resilient and durable future for all of our citizens.

It is vital that we build on the good progress made in recent years towards decarbonisation, including working with farmers, in particular, on water quality and nature restoration and efforts to scale up such work from pilots to the mainstream. I launched a number of LIFE projects, European Innovation Partnership, EIP, projects and other short-term initiatives, typically projects over a five- to seven-year cycle, during my time as a Minister of State. At every event, landowners told me they loved participating in schemes they saw tangible results from and, critically, got paid for. However, it is frustrating that there was no afterlife to such projects. Learning outputs and results were compiled and a project, with all of its expertise, then fell away. Burren LIFE was probably the most high-profile of these types of projects. Brendan Dunford was very critical that the results-based payment scheme developed by the project, which mainstreamed into the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, is now no more.

We negotiated with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael a €3.515 billion climate and nature fund, a capital fund that could extend and embed measures for nature, water and climate. We have yet to see the publication of the detail of that fund from the Government. My hope is that it will not be raided to shore up deficits in Uisce Eireann's capital programme.

Equally, I am concerned by the soundings coming from civil society that the MFF will be raided to ramp up defence and security spending across the EU at the expense of environmental measures, LIFE projects and climate initiatives. It may also impact negatively on humanitarian programmes at a time when many member states are cutting international aid budgets.

In Ireland, it could mean a reduction in Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, funding. The Commission closed public consultation on the MFF on Tuesday of this week. It was a poorly communicated process, which was cumbersome and complex, and largely excluded citizens and civil society from meaningful public participation. How many groups or organisations were aware that it was even open?

In that context, what has the European Commission representation in Ireland done to promote civil society engagement in this process? How is the Government going to ensure that Irish voices, including those of rural communities, family farmers and NGOs, are heard and used to help to shape Ireland's position on the MFF? If CAP, environmental supports and humanitarian funding are to be reduced, how will the Government propose to fill the gap to support rural communities and measures that Irish farmers are implementing on ecosystem services to support local authorities and other State bodies to deliver on climate and nature actions?

The Government should lead on a national conversation on the MFF. A figure of €1.12 billion sounds like a an eye-watering amount of money, but it is a drop in the ocean if siphoned off for weapons, missiles and fighter jets. Facilitating a public participation process, inviting submissions and engaging with key stakeholders are vital in advance of the next round of negotiations. In every statement I made as Minister of State to help get the nature restoration law over the line, I stated clearly that there needed to be EU money on the table for implementation. The MFF is that money and it will be agreed on the watch of the Irish Presidency next year.

Let us work together to ensure that it is a fund that benefits citizens, communities, farmers, fishers, foresters and vulnerable people caught in conflict and the ravages of climate change and not weapons manufacturers which are already enjoying record dividends for shareholders on the back of human suffering. How we shape influence and negotiate the next MFF could well be an enduring and defining legacy of Ireland's next EU Presidency.