Farming groups say ‘flawed’ Climate Action Bill is being rushed through the Dáil

Bill is criticised from both sides with environmental groups saying Government has not accepted any amendments

Members of the IFA national council and the environment committee, led by IFA president Tim Cullinan, outside the Convention Centre where the Dáil was debating the Climate Action Bill. Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke

Serious concerns over the Climate Action Bill and its impact on Irish agriculture have been raised by farm leaders and politicians.

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) held a protest outside the Dáil yesterday to highlight what its president, Tim Cullinan said, was a process by the Government to “force the Climate Action Bill through”.

Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) president Pat McCormack highlighted three main areas of concern including the direction of bill; the absence of any clear economic analysis of highly probable effects; and the bill’s proposal to effectively hand over the decision making on such a critical matter to an unelected council.

“It is unacceptable that Ireland’s biggest and most successful indigenous economic activity — farming and food production — is casually endangered in the way it most assuredly is by this Climate Action Bill,” Mr McCormack added.

IFA President Tim Cullinan said the flaws in the Bill could be ironed out if Minister Ryan was willing to accept amendments put forward by IFA around carbon storage, carbon leakage and the treatment of biogenic methane. Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke

“TDs must ensure that adequate protections for our farming and wider agri-food sector are included in the Climate Action Bill before it is passed through the Oireachtas.”

Cork South West Independent TD Michael Collins said: “It is now abundantly clear, from the committee stage deliberations on the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill, that the government is uninterested in listening to objection, as they hurry the bill through the Dáil.”

Tim Cullinan said the Bill was flawed and pointed out that it would not be so if the powers that be had taken on board the over 200 amendments, that had been made by farm organisations and politicians.

“IFA supports climate action and this bill is a very significant piece of legislation that deserves serious debate,” he said.

“It will have ramifications for the future of the entire economy and rushing it through like this does the Bill a disservice.

“Farms remove carbon from the atmosphere, but this is not recognised in the definition of carbon budgets in the Climate Bill.

“As it is currently drafted, it will also result in ‘carbon leakage’. Less food will be produced in Ireland, with more produced in countries with a higher carbon footprint, which will actually increase global warming.

“The Programme for Government and the Climate Bill refers to taking account of ‘the distinct characteristics’ of biogenic methane in setting climate budgets.

“Yet there are no specifics in the bill as to how this will be practically applied. Neither is there any proposal for a separate biogenic methane target.

“This bill is likely to be challenged and relying on implicit meanings and future promises will not cut it in the courts.”

Pat McCormack also highlighted how there was now “overwhelming evidence” to suggest that the bill in its current format “will squeeze family farming out of the sector”.

“Farmers are not seeking a ‘pass’; we understand the climate challenge and are already engaged in the transition to lower emissions and more sustainable practices,” he continued.

“However, the unique position of agriculture and food production needs to be recognised, as acknowledged in the Paris Accord.

“The bill as currently structured most assuredly does not recognise the unique role of Irish agriculture and will have a completely destructive effect on Irish farming families - and on the rural communities that those families backbone.”

Meanwhile, the Government has been accused from all sides of the climate debate of not accepting any amendments to the Climate Bill which is now going through the Oireachtas, before it becomes legislation.

Friends of the Irish Environment v Government of Ireland, known as Climate Case Ireland, is a piece of climate change litigation in the Irish Supreme Court.

Climate Case Ireland’s campaign coordinator Clodagh Daly said: “We are so disappointed that the Government will not accept any amendments to the Climate Bill”.

Ms Daly asked: “How can the Government and particularly the Green Party justify voting against Ireland committing in law to do its fair share to limit global average temperature increase to 1.5C?”

She warned significant gaps remained in the bill, threatening to undermine Ireland’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.

She claimed that future climate cases could be prevented from appearing before the Irish courts due to weak, permissive language included in the bill.

Michael Collins has challenged government TDs to step forward and explain why they are allowing a “deeply flawed and damaging” Climate Action Bill to be rammed through the Oireachtas, without any consideration for practical solutions or opposition amendments. “We have tabled over 75 amendments to the bill, representing a constructive attempt on our part, to protect rural communities and make the legislation more just,” he continued.

“In fact, of the total 239 tabled amendments at committee stage, only government ones were being accepted by the Minister.

“This serves to illustrate that this bill is all about keeping the Greens in government, while Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael hold onto power, despite the corrosive damage to the economy and the public.”