An Oireachtas committee - which has just published a new report on biodiversity containing 15 recommendations on agriculture and land use - has confirmed that not one member visited a single farm as part of their "engagements with stakeholders".

The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action launched a 63 page Report on Biodiversity, which makes 75 recommendations, on Friday (November 18).

The report is chiefly based on evidence gathered by the committee, which is made up of 15 cross party TDs and senators, from a series of meetings with stakeholders and three submissions.

According to the committee's cathaoirleach, Deputy Brian Leddin, the report "points the way" to how Ireland should "restore biodiversity in nature and how to best reap the co-benefits associated with diverse ecosystems in order to mitigate climate change.”

"There should be greater engagement with landowners to provide tailored solutions to peatland restoration," states Deputy Leddin.

In the report the Oireachtas committee identified a number of key themes which emerged from its work, one of which was agriculture and land use.

The committee highlighted that it heard from stakeholders that there was "extensive evidence that the interactions between agriculture and land use and the environment are not working in a sustainable way".

It was also informed by stakeholders that a "business as usual" approach to the agriculture sector "does not align with the climate ambitions of the European Union or Ireland's national policies".

A key focus of the report are issues about peatlands and also emissions from agriculture and land use.

One of the committee's recommendations is "the ending of drainage of peatlands and peat soils for agriculture as a matter of urgency" and the establishment of a national peatlands unit to develop action plans.

The report also details how the committee heard a wide range of evidence from stakeholders.

This included how to decrease emissions from nitrogen fertiliser, the potential for food additives to reduce methane emissions from livestock and that the "most immediate solution to reducing methane emissions" was a reduction in animal numbers.

In its latest report the committee "agreed" that "intensive farming" and the drainage of land for agriculture use had "played a major role in the loss of diversity in landscapes in Ireland".

It also noted that this loss was not exclusive to land in Ireland and that the marine environment has "also been heavily impacted".

The Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action also acknowledged that there was "buy in" from farmers to "better manage land".

In the report the committee sets out 15 recommendations specific to agriculture and land use.

Another recommendation outlines that there is a need for the implementation of a "robust agri/environment scheme, so that farmers are no longer penalised for having areas of biodiversity and wildlife habitat on their land".

While the report's recommendations could have a significant impact on day to day farming operations the committee confirmed to Agriland that none of the 15 members had visited a single farm specifically in relation to its latest report.

However Deputy Leddin said he was confident that the committee's latest report, via its stakeholder engagements, is representative of the views of farm families and communities.

The committee engaged with Macra and heard evidence from its president John Keane and four other executive members of the organisation.

The committee also heard from Dr Brendan Dunford from the Burrenbeo Trust in Co. Galway, Con Traas from the Apple Farm in Co.Tipperary and Donal Sheehan from the Bride Project in Co.Cork.

Deputy Leddin told Agriland:

"We actually had two sessions with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture as well in the course of our deliberations. I don't think it is fair to say that this committee isn't cognisant.

"We're a cross party committee representing a cross spectrum of political views and geographical spread as well - urban and rural as well. We are absolutely mindful of the challenges of agriculture and nobody on this committee wants to go forward and not plot a fair path forward for agriculture."