Matt Shanahan urges minister to listen to farmers on just transition
Matt Shanahan addressed the House, urging the minister to engage with the agri sector and rural TDs and to ensure climate measures are fair within a just transition. He raised concerns about a cheese factory expansion in Bellevue, Waterford held up by Antashka, the lack of carbon sequestering credit for hedgerows, and that amendments were not being taken.
Call for engagement with the agri sector
He told the minister he did not doubt the minister's bona fides or desire to bring in legislation and achieve a just transition, but said he was not convinced the agri sector was being listened to. He emphasised that farmers accept the need for climate action but expect measures to be fair.
Local processing project cited
He highlighted a cheese factory expansion in Bellevue, Waterford that has been held up by Antashka amid a philosophical debate about intensification. He noted milk already being produced there is being trucked 90, 100 miles away to be processed, affecting future farm expansion and local livelihoods.
Carbon sequestration and hedgerows
Shanahan asked what carbon sequestering component is being given for hedgerows, saying in his county of Waterford there is significant woodland and hedgerows and he understands there is no component in just transition for agriculture for that sequestration.
Parliamentary process and rural representation
He expressed regret that amendments were not being taken that night and urged the minister to engage with all deputies of the House and give access to rural TDs. He argued rural representatives are messengers of the people and are carrying valid concerns that should be heard.
Closing remarks
He said that if the minister listens there would be greater support and the parties could arrive at a just transition outcome together, concluding his remarks with repeated words transcribed as 'Goer maagad'.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Minister, I don't doubt your bona fides at all in your desire to both bring in this legislation and to see just transition in the process, but I would point out to you that I'm not sure that you are listening, particularly to the agri sector, and I'm somebody who is close to the agri sector, and I've heard a lot of the concerns, and I can tell you there's a lot of farmers who feel that absolutely something must be done in terms of climate, but it must be fair. I point out to you at the moment, Minister, that in Bellevue Waterford, we have a cheese factory expansion which has been held up by Antashka, largely on a philosophical debate about intensification of farming, for milk eels that are already being produced down there, that are being bussed, or I should say trucked, 90, 100 miles away to be processed, and this is a future livelihood of farm expansion, and people are therefore seeing this as a negative agenda to farming. I think the other thing in terms of just transition is the issue of carbon sequestering, and I've asked the question, and I haven't received an answer, as to what is the carbon sequestering component given for hedgerows? In my own county of Waterford, we have a significant amount of woodland and hedgerows, and I understand that there is no component in just transition being given to the agriculture sector for that, so these are some of the things that the farming sector and people generally in rural Ireland are concerned about, and I think, Minister, it behoves you to engage with all of the deputies of the House, and I regret that you're not taking amendments here tonight, but I would ask you to please give access to rural TDs and to take on their concerns. They are chock to dolly, they are messengers of the people, they are carrying a message, a very valid message, and concerns to you, Minister, and as I say, I behoves you to listen. And I think if you do that, you will find greater support, and as you have described, maybe we can arrive at a just transition outcome together. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad. Goer maagad.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
