Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
483. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the implications of the EU Nature Restoration Law that proposes to categorise all drained agricultural peat soils as degraded systems in terms of access for products grown on such land to the EU market and eligibility in the long-term for EU Common Agricultural Payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6104/24]
View answerThe Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH ) are the leading government authority in Ireland for the Nature Restoration Law (NRL). My Department has worked closely with DHLGH to ensure that the text of the NRL will deliver for the environment and climate whilst supporting all sectors of society, including farmers and rural communities.
The definitions within the NRL are aligned with existing EU legislative instruments including the Habitats and Birds Directives. These legislative tools have been in place for a number of decades and have not impacted negatively the access of products to the EU market or the receipt of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) supports. Under the EU Commission Impact Assessment of the Nature Restoration proposal the ambitions to restore drained organic soils under agricultural management are considered coherent with the CAP and, in the long term, are expected to have positive impacts on farm incomes due to greater sustainability of production.
Further to this, the current drafting of the NRL includes several safeguards to protect food security and ensure compatibility with the CAP. Indeed under Article 1 of the NRL, one of the Regulations main aims is to enhance food security. The Regulation states that many extensive agricultural practices have multiple and significant benefits for the protection of biodiversity. As such the Regulation does not intend to stop agricultural land use.
For the delivery of the NRL ambitions for drained agricultural peat soils, the Irish Government have committed to utilising public lands as far as possible enhanced by voluntary supports for farmers who wish to contribute to the targets. The voluntary mechanisms are under consideration and will involve stakeholder engagement, led by DHLGH to identify the most appropriate approach. It should be noted that existing actions under the current CAP Strategic Plan are considered to support progress towards the delivery of NRL ambition already.
