An Independent TD has said he is “furious” over the government’s newly announced agriculture emissions targets.
Because of the government’s Climate Action Bill, Ireland is required to cut its emissions by 51% by 2030 by law. This requires cuts across all major sectors, including agriculture.
Initially, Fianna Fáil Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue was pushing for a cut of 22%, but he was met with resistance from Climate Minister Eamon Ryan, who wanted 30%.
However, it seems that the coalition has settled on a compromise figure of 25%, which promises to have wide-reaching implications for the future of Irish farming.
A deal has been agreed for a cut to carbon emissions for the farming sector https://t.co/P8GxpbYUJz
— Irish Daily Mirror (@IrishMirror) July 28, 2022
Reacting to the news in a social media video, Independent TD Michael Collins said that “there’s a lot of fury out there” among farmers, adding: “it’s hard to blame them.”
“I’ve been speaking to many farmers this evening and over the last few days,” he said.
“Quite a few of them are cancelling [orders on] machinery and goods which they intended to buy for the future good of their farm.”
He said that even the 22% target proposed by Minister McConalogue was “shocking,” arguing that “There should be no percent, to be quite honest with you.”
“I am absolutely furious, to be quite honest with you,” he said.
“And of course it’s done when there’s no Dáil so they can get away with it.”
He said that “immature politicians are going to ruin Irish agriculture, because they haven’t worn wellingtons” and “don’t understand what it means to be a farmer.”
“Tonight the Brazilians are going to be celebrating. There’ll be celebrations all over Brazil,” he said.
“Because Irish agriculture is being brought to its knees while we’ll be importing Brazilian meat. And they’re going to be adding to their herd.
“UK, Germany, France, Italy – none of them are going to have to worry about these types of targets. But the Irish farmer is going to be ripped asunder after this decision.”
He said that development was a “victory for the green cult” which is “intent on ruining rural Ireland, aided and abetted by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”
“I think it’s time for farmers to get back up and fight this, because we don’t need to take any more nonsense from these stupid idiots,” he said.
“That’s what they are – a shower of idiots, to be quite honest with you. Because not one of them has a good plan in relation to our environment.”
He said that while government officials flew around on “top-class flights, with no worries about emissions,” farmers were being penalised by green policies.
Green Party ministers Catherine Martin and Eamon Ryan fly business class despite higher carbon footprint https://t.co/VxEE61gtz7
— Irish Independent (@Independent_ie) July 11, 2022
“We’ve been codded this evening,” he said.
“Irish agriculture has been codded. Irish farmers, Irish mothers, and Irish fathers that work hard to deliver for the people have been codded. We should not take it, and we won’t take it going forward.”
However, following the announcement, Climate Minister Eamon Ryan said he understood people had concerns for the future, and urged farmers and environmentalists to “start working together.”
“People are obviously anxious about how we are going to move forward,” he said.
“But as a government we are very determined across sectors to back families, back citizens, and back farm families to go on this journey.”
He said that there was “so little time left” to avert a climate catastrophe that such accelerated cuts were necessary.