Mattie McGrath TD has hit out at other Independents, such as Michael Lowry, accusing them of continually voting with Fine Gael “all the time” and describing them as “Fine Gael lite.”
In an exclusive interview with Gript this week, the Tipperary TD complained that he had called for an “emergency debate” in the Dáil on the controversial EU Nature Restoration Law, but that this proposal was voted down by the government.
“But worse than that…it was voted down by Michael Lowry, Dennis Noughten, and Peter Fitzpatrick – three so-called ‘independent’ TDs,” McGrath said.
“They’re not Independent TDs, they’re Fine Gael lite. They keep voting with Fine Gael all the time. Michael Lowry, Dennis Noughten, and Peter Fitzpatrick voted today to refuse to have a debate in the chamber to discuss this very serious issue that’s going to hit us here like a tsunami.”
McGrath said that it was “a sad day” for rural Ireland when the Nature Restoration Law was passed in the European Parliament yesterday.
“It means that 20% of all farmland will be taken out of farming use production, restored back to wasteland, or ‘nature’ as they say, by 2030, along with the sea area as well,” he said.
“How are we going to feed our people? To think that…all the Irish MEPs except for Ming Flanagan and one Sinn Féin MEP, McManus, voted for this law today – that is going to decimate and drive nails into rural Ireland.”
He added: “And [Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly] and Billy Kelleher and other MEPs will have the audacity to knock on farmers’ doors.”
The law, which is a component of the European Green Deal, mandates that by 2030, a minimum of 20% of the EU’s total land and marine areas must adhere to compulsory green “recovery” initiatives to combat climate change. By 2050, every ecosystem requiring restoration will be included. This strategy obliges member states to participate in restoration activities, such as rewetting of drained peatlands to achieve climate objectives, as Bord Na Móna is currently doing.
However, the European Peoples’ Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, with 177 Members from all EU Member States, has been fiercely critical of the proposal. Fine Gael is a member of this group, but voted against its own grouping.
The vice chair of the EPP, Siegfried Muresan, said yesterday that his grouping “continues to have serious concerns about the Nature Restoration Law.”
“We do not want new and more forms of bureaucracy and reporting obligations for farmers,” he said in a statement, adding: “Let farmers farm.”
Last year during an earlier vote, the EPP insisted that the motion “should be rejected.”
“The law states that we should restore nature in 20% of areas that are “in need of restoration” by 2030 and repair them completely by 2050,” the group said at the time.
“The problem is we do not know which areas would be affected, and the Commission is refusing to tell us. What we do know is that the definition is so broad that the legal application could affect almost all European territory.”
They argued that it would be “a disaster for rural communities, farmers and fisherman and public authorities having to deal with the legal consequences,” and that it would impact on planning procedures and food prices.
“The results of set-aside are good for nature, but they also reduce food production which drives up prices…Even the Commission admitted this will reduce food production. We refuse to accept this,” they added.
Every Irish MEP, including those from Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, voted for a highly controversial EU climate law, which critics say will “be a disaster for rural communities, farmers and fisherman” and “reduce food production.”#gripthttps://t.co/91tctT0Q9o
— gript (@griptmedia) July 12, 2023
However, Ireland South MEP Mick Wallace said that it was “a good day for nature, for everyone who loves nature and who works with it and who works to try to save it. It is also a good day for farmers.”
“Many farmers are totally against the regulation, but I absolutely firmly believe they should welcome it,” he said.
“Farmers and landowners should not fear the regulation, but should instead welcome the opportunities it will provide. The regulation is about restoration, not protection, and this is an important distinction.
“Restoration does not mean taking land out of production. The regulation creates legal obligations for member states, but not for farmers. The restoration targets do not apply to farmers, only to the member states.”
Similarly, Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly said that farmers would need to support such measures if they were to be successful.
“My Fine Gael colleagues and I have been clear from the outset that action to restore nature in Ireland cannot happen without the support of the agricultural community and industry,” he said.
“Farmers and fishers are the custodians of our environment and they recognise the need to take action to tackle biodiversity loss.
“It is clear, however, that many in the agricultural community have concerns with the proposed law, so it is important that we get the communication of the flexibilities secured right. Food security is now a central objective of this regulation and this has been assured by amendments from the Parliament.”