The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has claimed that there is a lack of proper scrutiny and debate over the Climate Action Bill in the Dáil.
The bill is currently making its way through the legislative process, and completed the committee stage of that process last week.
However, the IFA has claimed that the bill is “being rammed through” and that this “debases democracy”.
“The plan to ram this legislation through the Dáil on Wednesday is a cynical attempt to avoid further scrutiny of the bill, which contains fundamental flaws.”
IFA president Tim Cullinan accused Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan of trying to pass the bill “without due process”, saying: “There are over 290 amendments put down on the bill. These have been ignored by the minister.
“This is a very significant piece of legislation that deserves serious debate. It will have ramifications for the future of our sector and the entire economy,” Cullinan added.
He continued: “There has to be proper parliamentary oversight and debate where the detail of the bill is properly scrutinised. The three government parties cannot vote this through as it stands.
“The failure to properly discuss the issues debases democracy. We want government TDs to make their voices heard before it’s too late.”
Among the concerns for the IFA president is the fact that carbon removal by farmers is not recognised in the definition of carbon budgets.
Cullinan also claimed that the bill will result in less food being produced in Ireland, with more produced in countries with a higher carbon footprint.
“It’s environmental showmanship with no regard for the real impact of the measures on actual global warming,” he remarked.
Cullinan also claimed that the government “wants to walk away from the commitment” to take account of the characteristics of biogenic methane.
“We have tried to engage constructively with the government and Minister Ryan… It’s complete nonsense, and it’s time that rural TDs from government parties stood up for Ireland’s largest indigenous sector,” he said.
The IFA president concluded: “We want to work with government on climate action, but there has to be real engagement. Setting targets without any regard for the consequences or any supports won’t work.”