I recently attended an agricultural meeting to discuss the draft EU nature restoration plan, which proposes the restoration and rewetting of approximately 700,000 acres of drained peatlands. Even if we restore all the available Bord na Móna and Coillte lands, we are still looking at approximately 500,000 acres to be restored and rewetted by 2050. This is enormous. It is the biggest land use change we could possibly imagine in Ireland. It would cover, for example, approximately 80% of all the agricultural land in Sligo and Leitrim. Furthermore, the Government plans for 1.25 million acres of forestry by 2050. If the two proposals are taken together, that is 2 million acres. I am not asking for a full stop.

I am asking for a pause in order that there can be a proper impact assessment of the cumulative impact of the enormous change in land use being pursued by the Government.

I attended the same meeting with representatives of the IFA, and I met representatives of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association yesterday as well. Farming here will not thrive without nature being restored, and we cannot restore nature without farmers. The Government is negotiating a position in the EU to develop a stance on the nature restoration regulation that will work for Irish farming. This aspect is only one small part of what is a significant regulation. We want to do our best for Irish farming. We recognise that farmers will be voluntarily involved in any scheme eventually developed regarding a nature restoration plan. We want to ensure that this will work for Irish farming. We reiterated that at the meeting last night, and we will continue to do so. We need farmers to engage with us in a positive way to try to develop the best position for Ireland.