Paul Murphy
Question:53. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the planned expansion of the dairy processing industry here. [27015/21]
View answerThursday, 20 May 2021
Questions (53)
Written answers
Whilst milk production in Ireland has increased since the removal of milk quotas, from approximately 5.4 billion litres in 2015 to almost 8.3 billion litres in 2020, the rate of increase has slowed in recent years. It is important that processors and their suppliers work together to ensure that the Irish dairy sector can effectively manage the next stage in its sustainable development.
The Department and this Government places an enormous emphasis on improving the sustainability of all sectors of Irish agriculture, including dairy.
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 has been published and will support Ireland’s transition to Net Zero and achieve a climate neutral economy by no later than 2050. It will establish a legally binding framework with clear targets and commitments set in law. It will ensure that the necessary structures and processes are embedded on a statutory basis to allow us to achieve our national, EU and international climate goals and obligations.
The measures provided for in this Bill include placing on a statutory basis a 'national climate objective', which commits to pursue and achieve no later than 2050, the transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally-sustainable and climate-neutral economy. This Bill is the platform that can allow Ireland to provide strategic leadership on climate change matters. Farmers and the land use sector are already contributing to the national effort to address the climate challenge. Farmers are adapters and farmers are adopters. They have shown leadership in this area and I am confident that they will continue to do so.
My aim as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is to ensure that agriculture plays its role in contributing to Ireland’s Climate Change mitigation responsibilities whilst also ensuring that the sector can develop in an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable manner.
This will undoubtedly be challenging, and there are no easy answers. However, I am confident that the strategic framework set out in the draft Agri Food Strategy for 2030, which has been published for public consultation, sets out a pathway to deal with these challenges, using a food systems approach. Collaborative action between Government and all stakeholders, including the dairy industry and most importantly farmers themselves, will be key in this regard.