Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the Nature Restoration Law and associated legislation will in no way impact on planning applications for farming related developments and rural housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27365/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) presents significant opportunities to support the achievement of nature, water and climate objectives, as well as substantial investments in rural economies and communities.

The NRL sets out a framework for Member States to restore nature, with binding targets for a wide range of ecosystems including rivers, forests, oceans, urban areas and agricultural ecosystems, as well as protected habitats and species throughout the State.

Farmers have nothing to fear from the NRL as the legal obligation to achieve these targets is on the Member State, not the landowner. The Government is clear that all restoration measures will be voluntary. Furthermore, the targets set out in the NRL do not relate to individual Member States but constitute overall Union targets. It is up to each Member State to decide how it will achieve its targets by making a National Restoration Plan within 24 months of the NRL coming into force.

The Government is committed to an open, transparent and thorough stakeholder engagement process for the development of Ireland's National Restoration Plan.

This will give all stakeholders, including farmers organisations an opportunity to shape Ireland's plan so that it works for farmers and nature. The Government knows that nature restoration on agricultural ecosystems (farms) cannot happen without farmers' active participation and consent.

As part of the roll out of the NRL and the National Restoration Plan that will require to be developed to give effect to the law, there will be a need for all sectors, including planning, to review what additional requirements, whether legislative or policy, may be necessary to implement in both urban and rural areas.