The European Council agreement on a proposal for a nature restoration law “is realistic in its targets,” the Taoiseach told the Dáil today (Wednesday, June 21).
The Taoiseach said that despite the existence of habitats and birds directives for several decades, the European Union, including Ireland, “continues to see an alarming loss of biodiversity”.
He told the Dáil today: “The nature law is all about arresting and reversing it. Consideration of draft regulations is continuing at the moment.
“As deputies will know, there are different proposals. There is the European Commission proposal, the European Council proposal which has just been adopted, and a draft proposal at the European Parliament, which it has not yet adopted.
“There will be a trilogue. I support the council proposal, which was agreed by the minister, Deputy Ryan, yesterday. I believe it is realistic in its targets, flexibilities and compensation that will be provided to landowners.”
He said the Irish government supported what was agreed by the council.
Earlier today the Minister for the Environment, Eamon Ryan, said in a media interview that the Nature Restoration Law would be “good for farming”.
The Green Party leader also said it was “essential” because it was urgent that Ireland started to restore nature.
According to Minister Ryan farmers will be the “heroes and the front line people who will benefit most from this change”.
He said that the skill and knowledge of farmers was needed to turn restore nature but also warned that farmers would have to “farm in a way” that is attentive to soil and also change how artificial fertiliser is currently used and switch to a mixed sward system.
Minister Ryan also said in the interview that the current system of farming is not working because it only works for a small percentage who are making an income while he believes that the majority of farmers do not make an income and the average age of farming is also increasing.
The minister believes that Ireland needs a new generation of farmers to stop climate change and restore nature and said that they would be paid to do that.
Meanwhile the Rural Independent Group of TDs have raised concerns about what they described as “the Irish government’s unwavering support” for the EU Nature Restoration Law.
The leader of the Rural Independent Group, Tipperary TD, Mattie Mc Grath, said the proposal for a nature restoration law agreed yesterday “set stringent and unrealistic targets for Ireland”.
Deputy McGrath said the proposal would result in the rewetting “of at least 24,968 ha by 2030, followed by 66,580 ha by 2040, and an astonishing 83,225 ha by 2050”.
He added: “To put this into perspective, these targets would encompass an area nearly the combined size of Dublin, Limerick, Galway, and Waterford cities by 2030, and by 2050, an area equivalent to the entire agricultural lands of County Leitrim would be affected.”
Deputy McGrath said that the “concerns of rural communities and farmers in Ireland have been left behind”.