Matt Shanahan Warns Climate Bill Harms Farming, Forestry
Matt Shanahan spoke on 16 June 2021 in support of amendments from Deputy Nocton and the regional group, urging changes to the climate bill. He argued the legislation unfairly singles out the agricultural sector and raised concerns about forestry, renewable energy and international data centre contracts.
Support for amendments
Matt Shanahan expressly supported the amendments brought by Deputy Nocton on behalf of the regional group, saying they address specific concerns in the agricultural sector. He urged the minister to reconsider aspects of the bill that he believes mischaracterise farming's role in emissions.
Agriculture and biogenic methane
He called for biogenic methane to be separated from overall greenhouse gas calculations, noting that New Zealand had adopted such a construct and that this legislation did not. Shanahan warned against policies that would reduce the national herd and beef production while the EU imports beef from South America, arguing that importing product produced by rainforest clearance would not mitigate climate change and could worsen it.
Forestry sector concerns
Shanahan described the forestry sector as dysfunctional with one of the lowest forestry components in Europe and criticised recent attempts over the past 12 months to provide functionality to the sector as poor. He cautioned that following the same approach in climate policy as in forestry would likely result in failure.
Renewable energy and solar grants
He questioned the status of promised grants for solar arrays to farmers and the issue of grid connections, arguing Ireland could do much more to develop renewable energy. He also noted the bill will address renewables while flagging that over 20 contracts appear to have been entered into with international data centres.
Next steps and broader warning
While acknowledging the need to act for the environment, Shanahan said he will support further legislation his group hopes to bring after the recess. He urged the minister to think carefully and long about the farm and food agri sector's economic and cultural importance and warned that damaging it would have long-lasting effects and little climate benefit.
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I want to speak in support of the amendments that Deputy Nocton has put forward on behalf of the regional group and particularly in the area that I have a concern is around the agricultural sector and I think there has been in media discussion over the last number of months a very tacit steering of identifying the agricultural sector as a big problem in terms of climate and I don't think that's entirely justified I think the issue of biogenic methane we spoke about it in the House before New Zealand had come up with a construct that separated it from the overall calculation of the greenhouse gas component and I believe that should have been done with this legislation albeit the Minister has chosen not to I think we need to recognise that farmers are the custodians of the general environment and the countryside and they will be the custodians of the future food agri sector and it does not make any sense to me at all that we could in the future looking for reductions in the national herd and in beef production while we watch the EU take in beef from South America and look at the rainforest being cut down in order to supply that product into the EU that does not make any sense and it will do absolutely nothing to mitigate climate change in fact it will contribute to it I would also point out to the present in terms we have a dysfunctional forestry sector and again we have one of the lowest components of forestry of any European country we are trying to be self-sufficient we have made attempts in the last very poor attempts in the last 12 months to try and provide some functionality to this sector and if we are going to follow what we have done in forestry in terms of what we're going to do in climate change we certainly will not be successful we have been picked as an outlier an easy outlier some years ago I was involved in a business that sold energy saving equipment into the public sector and I gave it up after 18 months because it was nearly impossible to get change done within that and I have a feeling that we will be in the same place again and I would ask you also Minister what is happening in terms of the grants for solar arrays that were promised to farmers over the last number of years and the connections we could be doing so much more to develop renewable energy that has not been happening and I know this bill will be speaking about renewable energy at a time when it has been alluded to already we have entered into over 20 contracts it appears with international data centres so there is a lot that is not right with this climate bill but at the same time I like everybody else recognize the need that we have to start doing something for the environment I too will support along with Deputy Nocton legislation that we in the group hope to bring later after the recess that you will consider Minister but I ask you to think carefully and to think long particularly in terms of the farm and food agri sector which is a prince amongst the economic components of this country which is totally ingrained in the Irish culture and the damage that we can do will last a very very long time and will not do very little I suspect to mitigate climate change Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
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