IFA president Tim Cullinan has said he wants a clear commitment from the Government that carbon removals will be taken into account and asked for clarity on how they will be accounted for in the climate action bill.

“Last week, Minister Eamon Ryan accepted two amendments to the climate bill in the Seanad.

"Now we find, at the 11th hour, Ministers Ryan and McConalogue are coming forward with their own amendment to account for carbon removal,” he said.

Not yet published

“This proposed Government amendment has not yet been published, but we understand that it will enable the Government to take carbon removals into account, but won’t specify how it will be done.

“Therefore, we need a clear commitment from the Government that they will take removals into account and clarity on how they will account for them.

“While we welcome the Government’s new focus on carbon removals at the Seanad stage, it has only served to heighten our concerns about the way this bill was rammed through the Dáil in the first place,” he said.

Scrutiny

The Government should take more time to scrutinise the bill and “stop this headlong rush” to have it on the statute book before the summer recess, Cullinan said.

“This is one of the most important pieces of legislation in the history of the State.

“It could have untold consequences for the economy and the environment, and here we have the Government carrying out running repairs after the bill has gone through the Dáil,” he said.