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LAST UPDATE | 26 Jul 2022
THE THREE COALITION leaders have failed to reach an agreement on agriculture emissions targets this evening.
This evening’s meeting between Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Minister Eamon Ryan comes ahead of tomorrow morning’s Cabinet meeting, which was expected to hammer out the final details on emission targets for all sectors.
The current roadblock is coming from the agricultural sector, which was given draft emission reduction ranges between 22% and 30%, which were the lowest of any sector despite its high emissions.
However, it’s understood that the meeting between the three party leaders has ended without a deal being struck on emission reduction in the agriculture sector.
Negotiations are now expected to continue tonight and again tomorrow morning ahead of Cabinet.
However, a senior Government source said that it was hard to say whether or not a deal could be done.
Earlier today, Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath said that while discussions between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Environment are still ongoing, he hoped that an agreement could be reached before Cabinet tomorrow.
“Discussions are ongoing in relation to that and we would like to see an agreement reached and approved by cabinet tomorrow,” said McGrath, speaking on Morning Ireland.
However, he did say that the issue could be kicked down the road further if an agreement is not reached before tomorrow.
“It may be the case that it will take a further period of discussion in order to reach agreement.”
The Journal reported last week that Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue met with Ryan over the targets, telling him that “impossible” targets would undermine the sector’s “green image”.
The Climate Action Plan, which was published last November, set out the draft ranges for emission reduction targets for multiple sectors, including electricity generation, transport, industry and agriculture.
Cabinet need to approve the specific targets for each individual sector, but due to divisions within the coalition and resistance from the agriculture sector itself for targets above 22%, there have been lengthy negotiations between the Department of Environment and the Department of Agriculture.
Some Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbench TDs are concerned about the targets, with many seeking for targets to be as close to 22% as possible.
Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary Jackie Cahill is among the TDs fighting against the 30% target, previously telling RTÉ Radio One that there is “buy-in” among farmers for a 22% reduction.
Additional reporting by Lauren Boland.
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With some 7.1 percent of the first preference vote, the Greens have the other 2 partners by the proverbial ones if they do not want the coalition to collapse and an early election to be called.
The tail wagging the dog?
@George Vladisavljevic: Seems to be a flaw in the way we run our politics here, small parties and independents become king/queen makers and use it to over influence policy, meaning minority views become major policy…but!!!…how do we change it so that that doesn’t happen?, seems difficult with the way our democracy is run?
@George Vladisavljevic: Greens have unfortunately failed to use this leverage throughout this government however.
Fully expect Eamonn Ryan will come out the losing end of this standoff just like all the others.
@George Vladisavljevic: more a case of politics and vested interests clashing with the realities.
FG and FF know what needs to be done regarding our carbon emissions (especially from agri), whether the Green Party is part of government or not. You can only kick the can down the road for so long.
It won’t stop backbench TDs from a bit of grandstanding, especially when poll numbers are down.
@George Vladisavljevic: of the first preference vote in the last election you mean……next time around they will be very lucky to get anyone into the dail with the way the are acting. They have lost the famers vote due to this, and due to the stance they have taken in not allowing tapping of gas pockets off the west coast, they’ve lost every one else. The next election will be similar tong is 2010 when Gormley was the leader of the party, and they were pretty much wiped out. Only thing is, what Ryan has done better that Gormley is make sure it will be a very long time before they will be in power again, if ever.
@Spartacus Ireland: I wouldn’t say ‘minority views’. Anyone with half a brain knows we have internationally binding responsibilities to reduce our emissions or face astronomical fines. Agriculture accounts for almost 50% of our emissions. At some point the bandaid just has to get ripped off.
Problem with our capitalist democratic systems is, we will never politically be able to do it. Do your future generations a favour for their well-being, and don’t have children.
@Urban Living Dublin: except theose grandstanding backbenchers as you call them doing their job….representing thier constiuents. And the TD last week was correct with the point he made about people were driving vehicles that they couldn’t justify. ..yes I know he specifically mentioned Dublin, it’s really the whole country, and everyone pretty much jumped down his neck. a one litre car in the city can be as bad as any jeep in the country.
@Joe_X: I can tell you one thing, Brendan Griffin’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion on banning SUVs in south Dublin was welcomed with open arms by most in the city. A huge number of those in the city would like to see car movements reduced. I suspect a ban on SUVs in Dublin would have more traction than you might think. Problem is that the vested interests wouldn’t like it. Just like the IFA and its vested interests doesn’t like restricting emissions.
@Glenn O h’Ailpín: your accounting methods are focussed on gross and not net emissions. Every atom of CO2 produced by a cow was originally soaked up by grass in photosynthesis. A cycle. The only problem with our carbon cycle now is we are unlocking vast quantities of carbon which was previously stored as fossil fuels.
@George Vladisavljevic: But the dog needed the tail to keep the SF fox out of the Leinster Dog-House in 2020
@Urban Living Dublin: most SUVs are 2 lit or less, Banning SUVs would have little environmental effect, but would make living in the city a bit more pleasant .
@Rochelle: But of course he will + I believe M.M. Would be intrested in a coalition with SF ( which I would hope to god they wouldn’t agree to ) .
@George Vladisavljevic: My first thoughts exactly.
Wasting their time and our money. Just got off the phone with my car insurance company. They decided to up the basic price by 30 euro beacuse they can !. Why isn’t the government tackling rip off Ireland instead of something that will make no difference. Health, housing, homeless, etc are things they can make a difference with but nothing being done.
@Michael Dowling: What has that got to do with this article,if your car insurance is ripping you off move,the loyal customer is gone,you only get a deal as a new customer,shop around.
@Michael Dowling: the Greens need to show they have the liathroidi to be in government and push through their climate plans. If not, they are toast.
@Daniel Roche: he’s right, it all boils down to money, money talks.. farmers reinvestment the majority of their profit back into farming, from a new tractor, to a shed,to a disc mower, big consumption of electricity and diesel, they wash all the money back into the BIG WHEEL again and that’s what they want.. this country cannot afford to have a organic farmer with pv panels and is self sustainable..
This could result in major repercussions for the dairy and beef sector. He’ll want a major cut in cattle numbers. I’m predicting a huge counter reaction from farmers just like in the Netherlands if he gets his way
@saoirse janneau: Due to years of heel-dragging by the Dutch government, the courts have finally intervened and forced its hand. This has triggered farmer protests in the Netherlands, which have burned through a hell of a lot of public goodwill towards the agri sector and has polarised the country.
Dutch agri exports are €85bn/year (Ireland is €10bn) and Dutch agri-food employs 10% of the workforce (Ireland 7%). Yet, despite the relative higher importance and size of the Dutch agri sector, it will see its cow and pig stocks being reduced by half in the very near future. They simply don’t have a choice. Neither will we if we refuse to reform.
@Urban Living Dublin: Dutch agri is mostly in greenhouses ?
@ChronicAnxiety: Floriculture is actually the biggest breadwinner (some of it from greenhouses), followed closely by meat and dairy.
@Urban Living Dublin: I’m not sure the Dutch farmers have burned through much goodwill or polarised the country. I would say it’s the complete opposite. The Dutch are a very smart race, they know a land grab when they see one. The environment is of no interest to the law makers, the only thing they’re after is land, very expensive land which is second only to gold in value.
Two and a half men, Ryan being the half LOL
They should also look to reduce the bull emissions while they’re at it, sooner the better they’re gone
Once again, farmers want others to do the heavy lifting.
@Philip Howlin: considering that for every 1 farmer there are 8 other jobs that spin off indirectly from it many others can help with the heavy lifting. Most farmers are strong physically and maybe not mentally as much now as they should be…… they after all are getting blamed for the environmental issues all over media because of production of food in the best way they know how. No one say a dam thing about aviation. Pollution was halved during covid when planes were grounded essentially.
@Jim Casey: Farming is the most heavily subsidised industry in Ireland both from Irish exchequer and EU. Now they want others to subsidise their obligations to making environment safe. They argue that the portion of responsibility allocated to farming will damage farming viability, with little care for damage caused to others who are being asked to take up their responsibility.
@Philip Howlin: now you’ve obviously zero understanding of why farming needs to be subsidised. 1. To keep people from migrating to urban areas which most people do over 60 % in this little island more around the world. 2. If we all lived in urban areas starvation would happen 3 so to ensure there will not be starvation farmers have been subsidised 4 if farmers were not given cap payments food prices would be higher and standards would decrease and here is the thing……. it would be more difficult to police factory farms that turn into multinationals eventually. Look at apple Google etc. We’re afraid to upset them but it’s okay to regulate small family farms.
@Jim Casey:. I wasn’t expecting the personal attack.
I worked for 42 years as a Department of Agriculture Officer implementing various farming subsidies, both directly indirectly.
I could see first hand the effects of these subsidies had on farming. I have witnessed, on a daily basis, the enormous changes farming has gone through since joining EU. (The same year I started working).
There were good and bad subsidies.
Some farmers prospered while others disappeared.
So I do understand farming and supsidies.
My point is that none of these subsidies ever meant other industries suffered any adverse effects (except for Fishing industry).
In this case farmers are asking that other industries take responsibility for their obligations.
@Philip Howlin: sooner or later the world will wake up and realise we need food and we can do without so many other things. There are headlines every day about food shortages. Government in a panic offered money to farmers to increase production of grain. Now it’s about massive cuts in production.. the madness would be comical if the issue was not so serious. I have no interest in starving so that green supporters in urban settlements can feel good about saving the planet. Consume less buy local. Stop buying from China it’s our demand for cheap products made in China that is causing mass pollution in that country. Stop penalising our own. It’s madness. This internal divide in our island is a disgrace. Food is what we need for survival. Cut back on everything else
@Philip Howlin: you do realise the whole point of the subsidies was because of the supermarkets and the big corporations will pull any tactic possible to pay farmers peanuts for their product while at the same time employing a whole dept to inspect and penalise farmers so the quality goes higher. While EU is also allowing trade deals with countries to bring in the same food items which are a fraction of the cost of the ones here.
The subsidies the farmers get are so they don’t go out of business. Why do you think Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Supervalue, AIBP, Nestle ect are all turning over billions in profits. These are the subsidies we pay the farmers because they refuse to pay the primary producer a fair price. Globalisation exacerbates the issue. Ie what was the price of a litre of milk 50 years ago. What is it today? How much has the the costs of the inputs gone up since then?
@Philip Howlin: the subsidies are paid to keep food cheap. It’s not making farmers rich. Proper prices for their products would enrich them and give them an income like what top civil servants get. The very people who are engaged in madness to starve the world. 8 billion people need a lot of food. Not paper pushing
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: The current agricultural policy will cost the Irish taxpayer in excess of €3.4 billion this year. In 2020, just 163,600 people were employed in Agriculture, fishing, forestry, food processing, timber processing, horses, hides and wool processing. If €414,000 in dole wasn’t going to the Larry Goodman on top of other state aid and the 3.44 billion was given out equally, this 7% of the workforce would receive an annual dole of €20,782 before the 90% of beef and dairy is exported, before the 20% of the domestic diet is produced, before the 50% of waterways gets polluted before the over target ammonia and the 37.5% of ghg emissions gets released. People are fed up with gombeen pastoralists on here farming the taxpayer with bullshit.
@Philip Howlin: Spot on!
@Tony Lewis: The world have always needed food and will always need food.
There is overproduction in some parts of the world and scaricity in other parts.
What we are poor at is distribution of surplus to areas of need.
We must also ensure that food for human consumption is ethically produced in safest possible environment.
We all have to play our part in this regard. We all need to take our responsibilities 100% seriously and not expect others to shoulder some of our responsibilities.
I very much agree that buying local is a good idea.
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: As I pointed out in my post above I have vast experience in the implementation of farming and food production subsidy schemes over 42 year period (1970 to 2012).
I have no issue with subsidies in principle.
It’s who benefits and who doesn’t. It’s the outcome from the distribution of these subdidies that’s important
It is well known that some large farming companies and businesses do very well from subsidies sometimes to the detriment of others.
During performing of my duties on food production subsidies, I observed the workings of supermarkets you mentioned and sometimes it was not a nice experience. (I had no direct input other than EU standards being met)
It has been my experience that farmers will ever only be penalised where agreed standards are not met.
@Sean Byrne: Fair points Sean
@Sean Byrne: food is essential to life, like water, a laptop is not essential. Is the penny dropping yet sean, food very important, food we need 3 times a day to live. Don’t mess with our food supply. There is no climate crisis, it’s all a hoax. Remember, we need food, not electric cars or scooters, food, and lots of it.
The cost if living is already rising due to other factors. The last thing we need is to have the tree huggers in government making things more difficult. Yes it’s a lofty goal and commendable but this is not the time to do it. How far removed from people trying to feed and support their families are these people??
They should agree on what is best for the Irish people. The people should come before any crazy targets.
Three of the greatest statemen this country has ever produced.
@Brian Burns: love it. Great effort.
Kick it down the road just like the cost of living
I thought these emission targets were agreed upon during the talks on the Programme for Government!
@Jack Cass: A total figure was agreed and a range for each of the sectors but not that the exact amount.
What few of the backbencher TDs pushing for the lower level of 22% reduction for farmers are mentioning is that those numbers will have to be made up with higher rates in other areas such as transport. Which they’ll later likely also oppose.
Have they engaged with the Avaition industry,look up! Now there’s some serious ” Gas” being belched 24/7 ?
The writing is on the wall for live animal rearing business. It will all have to stop. And within our lifetime. It is no mercy to let them believe their business is viable.
@Andrew Smith: listen if you watch any gardening video, first thing they do is get some peat free compost! Where do you think that comes from??? Animal bedding and farm yard manure.
The soil will turn to dust if it has no organic matter. Ask your local gardener! You cannot grow crops year after year with artificial fertilisers without putting nutrients back into the soil. If you want the soil to rest and recover you normally spread animal slurry or sow grass and graze it with animals. But with your plan we will have no animals so what’s going to eat the grass? Nothing so the grass will die and the soil will not recover at all….. genius let’s not go with that idea.
@Andrew Smith: Why we are carnivores and need our meet. Cats are a goner as it is essential to them to live.
@Andrew Smith: Why will it have to stop? Who are you to tell us this?
The greens are gone
Personally think hitting 30% reduction is easy if we fast tracked getting 25% of farmers organic and compensated farmers accordingly. Conversation re 22% vs 30% reduction moot really when emissions are rising each year instead of falling.
@john mounsey: look farmers are going to have to get more for their product if they go organic. A guaranteed price, not the free market price. And you the consumer will probably have to pay double for the same product in the shops while at the same time barring supermarkets from importing cheaper products from abroad to under cut the prices the farmers are getting paid here. This is the whole problem with going organic.
If farmers got a fair price they would all be organic if it made financial sense. But currently its does not and farmers will go out of business.
For example where I’m from 30 years ago there were 30 small dairy farms which weren’t intensive and grew crops as well. Same place today there are 3 massive full time dairy farms. The others went out of business because its wasn’t profitable.
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin:I cannot afford organic. So what you are saying is people on lower incomes do not count.
@john mounsey: Great can you pay for organic food, I cant!
@john mounsey: Organic? You think this is all about the environment? It’s about power and wealth, nothing else. The food we eat is perfectly fine or else we’d all be dead by now.
The issue with these emission reduction plans is that it is all supply led, ask the suppliers to reduce and hope that the emissions will come down.
The better way would be for the society to come together and reduce demand, less chicken wings, less meat, less materialism in our lives, longer time periods between upgrades, making our goods repairable and other such methods that reduce demand would be way way better. The supply side sill follow in a heartbeat because people will be voting with their monies!
If the industry in Ireland reduces supplies to reduce emissions and the demand grows unabated, it will lead to more imports. We all need to stop demanding so much of our planet!
@amitwadhwa: Leave the meat out of it. Some of the people screaming blue murder about the problem are equally as guilty as us meat eaters. Let alone the cartels involvement have a read of this
https://youmatter.world/en/benefits-avocados-production-bad-people-planet-27107/#:~:text=But%20what%20truly%20makes%20avocado’s,footprint%20of%201981%20m3%2Fton.
@Gary Kearney: I may have used meat in my comment but I have the same opinion about non native plants also d the carbon footprint to grow those suckers is massive. I am simply suggesting an all around reduction in demand!
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We are told that the Ukraine can’t move It’s grain and we are going to have a food shortage in the winter, then ever government in the EU is getting rid of agriculture jobs,it seems stupid to me.But what can you expect from people who are all in the pockets of the psychopathic so called”elites”,who own carbon credit selling companies and own electric cars companies & use private jets and are all members of Blackrock financial and Vanguard financial.Funny how kalus schwab’s WEF have said that they will buy the Netherlands farms,but I’m sure that it’s complete happenstance that the WEF is pushing eating bugs,and that companies put ground up bugs in some foods now,and this the same people pushing depopulation.just like the Palm oil/fat it’s good for Business,bad for human and animal lifes.
have your say