Farmers are not stupid and they must see the changes they require in Europe’s nature restoration law tied down in legislation, according to Sinn Féin TD Réada Cronin.
Deputy Cronin claimed that when it comes to the measures in new law, Ireland’s climate action plan “actually goes further”.
“Our own climate action bill goes further than that anyway. It is very important,” she said.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at a Kildare farm walk, Deputy Cronin said the communication around the nature restoration law has been “so poor from politicians around Europe” and warned that there has been a lot of “scaremongering”.
“When you communicate to a farmer why nature restoration is important, farmers know that,” she added.
Irish advantage
The Sinn Féin TD, who is a member of the Oireachtas committee on climate action, explained Ireland’s existing advantage when it comes to environmental sustainability.
Irish farmers have a sustainability advantage, according to Sinn Féin. \ Donal O' Leary
“Often when you’re abroad you can see other countries, they don’t have the hedgerows that we have here.
“What we have here in Ireland - we have our hedgerows, we have our biodiversity there and people know how important it is,” she said.
Rewetting
However, Cronin highlighted that when it comes to rewetting “it has to be communicated to farmers that if their neighbouring land is going to be rewetted, that’s not necessarily going to be flooding”.
“Raising the water table - if it does have an impact nearby, those farmers are going to have to be compensated,” she added.
The Kildare TD warned that when it comes to the nature restoration measures expected of them, farmers cannot be dependent on the government of the day.
“It has to be tied down that farmers will know that the nature restoration won’t affect farmers, that it’s going to be voluntary and if they are affected by a neighbouring field, it’s going to be compensated,” she said.
Farmers’ party
Speaking alongside Deputy Cronin, her fellow Sinn Féin Kildare TD Patricia Ryan warned that policy makers need to work with farmers.
She said there was “this thought way back that we weren’t a party that helped farmers”.
Sinn Féin is the party for rural Ireland, insisted two of its TDs. \ Don Moloney
“We’re very much a rural party in many areas and we certainly do want to help farmers and will do so,” she explained.
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Farmers are not stupid and they must see the changes they require in Europe’s nature restoration law tied down in legislation, according to Sinn Féin TD Réada Cronin.
Deputy Cronin claimed that when it comes to the measures in new law, Ireland’s climate action plan “actually goes further”.
“Our own climate action bill goes further than that anyway. It is very important,” she said.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal at a Kildare farm walk, Deputy Cronin said the communication around the nature restoration law has been “so poor from politicians around Europe” and warned that there has been a lot of “scaremongering”.
“When you communicate to a farmer why nature restoration is important, farmers know that,” she added.
Irish advantage
The Sinn Féin TD, who is a member of the Oireachtas committee on climate action, explained Ireland’s existing advantage when it comes to environmental sustainability.
Irish farmers have a sustainability advantage, according to Sinn Féin. \ Donal O' Leary
“Often when you’re abroad you can see other countries, they don’t have the hedgerows that we have here.
“What we have here in Ireland - we have our hedgerows, we have our biodiversity there and people know how important it is,” she said.
Rewetting
However, Cronin highlighted that when it comes to rewetting “it has to be communicated to farmers that if their neighbouring land is going to be rewetted, that’s not necessarily going to be flooding”.
“Raising the water table - if it does have an impact nearby, those farmers are going to have to be compensated,” she added.
The Kildare TD warned that when it comes to the nature restoration measures expected of them, farmers cannot be dependent on the government of the day.
“It has to be tied down that farmers will know that the nature restoration won’t affect farmers, that it’s going to be voluntary and if they are affected by a neighbouring field, it’s going to be compensated,” she said.
Farmers’ party
Speaking alongside Deputy Cronin, her fellow Sinn Féin Kildare TD Patricia Ryan warned that policy makers need to work with farmers.
She said there was “this thought way back that we weren’t a party that helped farmers”.
Sinn Féin is the party for rural Ireland, insisted two of its TDs. \ Don Moloney
“We’re very much a rural party in many areas and we certainly do want to help farmers and will do so,” she explained.
Read more
Opinion: Sinn Féin set for its best Euro elections in 2024
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