Climate – when is a policy not a policy?

Sir, – Tom Arnold writes that Ireland has two key government policies – the Climate Action Plan 2023 and Food Vision 2030 which can make Ireland an international leader in sustainable food systems (“Global food systems: we have reached another turning point, requiring a new level of political commitment and policy direction”, Climate, November 9th).

Unfortunately, this is untrue. While the Climate Action Plan 2023 is undoubtedly Government policy, in our recent High Court challenge seeking to quash Food Vision 2030, the Government’s primary defence was that it was not in fact Government policy. Instead, the Government successfully argued before the court that it was merely a voluntary, stakeholder strategy without statutory, legal or material effect and, at its height, a non-binding policy document.

If Food Vision 2030 is everything that Mr Arnold says it is cracked up to be, then the obvious question arises – why did the Government forgo the opportunity to make it official national policy? – Yours, etc,

TONY LOWES,