Ireland is facing a national biodiversity crisis that is entirely entwined with the climate crisis. We are a country that is known internationally for our landscapes, nature and lakes. These are threats that pose a risk to our own environment and well-being, as well as our local economies, especially in areas that rely on tourism. It requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. In my county, Monaghan, the local council has been to the fore, leading on many initiatives such as the first county hedgerow survey in 2010, which has been replicated by a number of other councils over the years. Recently other projects, such as the Sliabh Beagh PEACEPLUS nature peatland recovery and the hen harrier management programme, have been great initiatives coming out of Monaghan. Farmers across this island have been to the fore in responding to the climate and biodiversity crises. They are doing so in a context where they are consistently being asked to do more, while getting paid less, because that is how it works. Newly mandated regulations are usually either production reduction measures or measures that increase production costs. The problem is this. While there can be good money to be made in food production, farmers' margins are already simply too tight to absorb the ever-rising standards. I am not disputing that measures are necessary. The question is how we fund them. Bringing more transparency to processors' and retailers' margins is needed, as is enforcement of unfair trading practices. So too is paying our farmers for the services they provide as a part of the Common Agricultural Policy. I hope all Members will recognise the scale of the challenge we face and row in behind our farmers in the months ahead as the EU budget is agreed and, in particular, that we will be united in demanding a larger CAP budget and more funding for our farming families. I will touch on an issue related to the use of lead gunshot and the REACH committee. This goes back to the previous Dáil term. I am aware that at that time, there was an issue in terms of engagement between the Department and stakeholders. I do not want to dwell on that, and we have a new Minister. Is the Minister of State willing to give a commitment to engage with representative countryside, conservation and rural stakeholder organisations on this matter?

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