Carol Nolan warns of potential land grab over peatland re-wetting
Carol Nolan spoke on 19 October 2022 about proposed peatland re-wetting regulations and forestry policy, arguing there had been no consultation with farming organisations and warning the measures could result in a potential land grab. She criticised environmental NGOs' influence and funding, called for analysis and assessments before action, and urged unity among rural TDs.
Concerns over consultation and land rights
Nolan said there had been no consultation with farming organisations and described the regulation as a very serious measure that could lead to a potential land grab, arguing re-wetting of peatlands risks taking control away from landowners. She cited concerns raised by constituents and farming organisations in Leash Offaly.
Afforestation and forestry targets
She referenced a briefing on forestry and stressed the need for afforestation to meet climate action targets, warning that current progress is behind the 8,000 hectares per year target and that greater uptake of forestry is required. Nolan emphasised that planting should ultimately be the farmer's choice.
Criticism of environmental NGOs and funding
Nolan criticised environmental NGOs for what she said was excessive influence on policy and taxpayer-funded activities, stating they are being funded "to the hills" and citing an annual figure of 5.2 billion in funding. She said she had called for their funding to be reviewed and for organisations to be overhauled.
Calls for assessment and evidence
She argued it would be ludicrous to act without a fundamental assessment or analysis in advance, praised some Member States for commissioning studies (mentioning Sweden), and referenced a KPMG report commissioned by the Farmers Journal on emissions that she said was not taken on board. Nolan asked for clear evidence of how such analysis would influence agriculture policy.
Political unity among rural TDs
Nolan urged buy-in and unity among rural TDs, offering to work with pragmatic colleagues across the Dáil to ensure policies are fair to farmers and to resist what she characterised as attempts to instigate a land grab. She said rural representatives need to be united to get the policy approach right.
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I am very concerned over the fact that there has not been any consultation with the farming organisations, this is a very serious piece of legislation, a very serious regulation, which could result in a potential land grab, so it is concerning, and I know my constituents in Leash Offaly and indeed the farming organisations in Leash Offaly have been very proactive in highlighting this, and the fact that the re-wetting of peatlands, it is serious, and it also takes away control from the landowner, I mean only today Chair, you hosted a good briefing on forestry, and we all learned about the importance of afforestation, and how important it is in meeting our climate action targets, we are currently behind with that, in meeting the 8,000 hectares per year, so now that means that we are going to have to plant more forestry, so these environmental NGOs, as far as I am concerned, are doing too much dictating, and they are being funded to the hills by the taxpayer, I have called for them to be defunded, because I think it is criminal, that they are getting 5.2 billion every year of funding, and some of those taxpayers are farmers, and they are the people that they are punishing a lot of the time, and I have called and made no bones about that, that they need to be looked at and overhauled, but in terms of, like, you are taking away control from farmers, there is a need now more than ever for afforestation, and a forestry policy, and for more uptake on that, and again, it is the farmer's choice, if they want to do that, but they cannot have it every way, you know, these environmental groups cannot have it every way, my question is, I suppose, in terms of the assessment and the need for an analysis, which I fully support, I think it is ludicrous to do something without having the fundamental piece, such as an assessment or an analysis done in advance, and my question is, some Member States have done that, and that is great, at least some Member States are showing leadership on this issue, but have they influenced the direction of agriculture policy, and the reason I ask that, that is, I was very disappointed to see a KPMG report commissioned by a Farmers Journal on emissions, a very good report, I might add, that I thought was particularly good, that was not taken on board, so my concern is, if this analysis is done in other Member States, you know, we need good examples, and we need evidence of how it is going to influence agriculture policy, but we need buy-in from rural TDs, and I think we need unity now more than ever, among rural TDs, as a government, and likewise, and certainly I will work with any TD who is sensible and pragmatic, no problem, but we do need to make sure that we get this right, and that we resist any attempt to have a land grab, basically, instigated, and as I say, I fully support, and I certainly will help, any way I can, I know, John, you mentioned Sweden, in terms of the analysis, and the objections were also mentioned, but I would like to see some evidence of how the agriculture policy was influenced, because that is what we need to do in here, there is more than 12 green TDs in this building, I might add, and we need to see action, because a lot of the time the rural TDs, whether they are government or not government independent, like myself, are very much on the one page, so we need unity, and we need to resist this, thanks. All right. Let's see. Thanks. Let's see. All right. Thank you. Let's see. Let's see. Cut.
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