The Irish government will continue with plans to protect and restore nature if a key law is not passed at European Union level, a minister has said.
Ireland’s junior minister for nature said the “challenge” is that the vote is taking place at the end of the EU electoral cycle.
The European Parliament is to vote on the EU Nature Restoration law on Tuesday.
The legislation is a key part of the EU’s European Green Deal, which seeks to establish the world’s most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on climate issues.
The plans proposed by the European Commission set binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species, with the aim by 2030 to restore at least 20% of land and sea areas and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.
Minister of State with responsibility for nature Malcolm Noonan has acknowledged that some see the EU proposal as limited, but said “it won’t limit our ambition” in Ireland.
He said that even if the law is not passed at EU level, plans will continue in Ireland and work is already underway to create a restoration plan for Ireland, with the aim of bringing it into effect by 2026.
But he said ambitions to restore Ireland’s nature cannot take place without farmers’ help.
“I’ve been talking to MEPs over the last few days just to sound them out on where they are with it, it’s a big vote next week.
“I do hope it passes but the Irish government has been very strong and supportive in relation to the Nature Restoration Law and have shown good leadership in a European context on it.
“I would hope that it does (pass) and if it doesn’t, we’ve made a commitment that we will develop our own plan.
“A lot of the elements which are underway in a lot of those projects I’ve talked about.
“We now have Climate Nature Fund 3.15 billion euro they’re working with the Department of Finance on where they’re drafting legislation which will add that mechanism to unlock a capital funding to provide consistent levels of funding into our communities for restoration.
“We’ve already begun a process, leading off a two-year process of developing a nature restoration plan that would come into effect in 2026.
“That’s when the Climate Nature Fund kicks in as well.
“So that’s going to be a collaborative plan, Minister (for Agriculture Charlie) McConalogue has said that, that will involve widespread public engagement and participation of all relevant stakeholders in the process, and that we would design it in such a way that people have a strong input into it.
“It’s not going to be levelled upon people.”
“Farmers across Europe are protesting for many reasons, there’s falling prices, rising input costs, climate change impacting on their livelihoods.
“Critically important across Europe, I think, politicians need to listen to them and listen to what they’re saying.
“They shouldn’t have to farm in fear all the time.
“They should have some certainty around around their incomes.
“And the biggest challenge we see not just in Ireland in farming is succession.
“When you have such a dynamic labour market now where there are so many opportunities for young people, could you blame them for not wanting to spend 14-15 hours a day getting soaked out on a farm for a limited return?
“And while there are good tech jobs in the city and other opportunities for them?
“We’ve been consistent as well in talking about the nature restoration, we can’t restore nature without active farmers.
“They play a really important role, animals grazing on land, all of that is hugely significant.”