Over 150 recommendations were made by the Citizens’ Assembly final report on Biodiversity Loss, which it says has the potential to dramatically transform Ireland’s relationship with the natural environment.
he report expresses the Assembly’s clear disappointment at the State’s failure to adequately fund, implement and enforce existing laws and policies.
It also states explicitly that this must change, and that sufficient funding and increased expenditure should be provided for enforcement and implementation of national legislation and EU biodiversity-related laws and directives related to biodiversity.
With the majority of land across Ireland used for agriculture, the Assembly believes that the agriculture industry and its approach to land use have a major impact on biodiversity.
It said that biodiversity is currently undervalued in our agriculture production system and policy framework.
99pc of the Assembly agreed that current State policy on the management of biodiversity on agricultural lands is not sufficient and requires fundamental review and change to support and incentivise farmers and landowners to protect and restore biodiversity.
91pc agreed that biodiversity targets in national schemes (i.e. CAP/ACRES) must be made significantly more ambitious, detailed and focused on the medium to long term and that funding must be increased to support this ambition.
91pc agreed that the State must further subsidise and incentivise organic farming and locally grown produce.
60pc of the Assembly agreed that people must be encouraged to consume a more plant-based diet.
96pc agreed it is imperative that penalties for polluting freshwater are significantly increased and enforcement considerably improved.
91pc said forests currently planted and those already felled on peatlands are a significant and historic problem and the State should remedy this issue promptly and on a significant scale.
The Assembly was made up of 99 people from around the country, after 20,000 invitations were issued, generating 2,261 responses, six of which are farmers.
Eight farming organisations were invited to talk to the group.
Aideen McGloin, a sheep and beef farmer, in the Ox Mountains, Co Sligo, and representing the INHFA told the members that farmers follow policy and have removed biodiversity because of policy and income.
She also said what is being asked of them now is a huge sea change and that rules are imposed on farmers, rather than developed in consultation with them.