Dr. Rory O'Donnell:

The Deputy asked an important question about the possibility of Ireland achieving a world leadership position on the food aspects of climate and environment issues. Ireland has, by international standards, relatively low carbon production of food, even if within our own national emissions agriculture accounts for a very significant proportion of that. There are parallel developments in mind for that. One is that over time it is possible - although not certain - that the international accounting framework for agriculture and land use, which is already evolving, will develop in a way suited to Ireland's interests. Irish experts in the international accounting community are very active in that space but any kind of leadership position in food aspects of environment and climate depend on us doing to the highest possible standard what we claim to do. There is a real connection between any case we make internationally about the way accounting might evolve and achieving the diffusion of the practices identified by Teagasc, which involve the lowest possible forms of carbon footprint in different kinds of agriculture.

This is an example of a link between the out-facing and in-facing aspects of the issue. The out-facing aspects include Ireland's position in this evolving UN and EU accounting system, which is changing substantially attitudes to land, forestry and perhaps, in time, agriculture. Ireland's position in that space is only credible if there is a rigorous sign-up by all actors to the kind of standards and quality that Teagasc and Bord Bia identify at present.

What about flood alleviation?