Mr. Paul McKiernan:

The Deputy has outlined the difficulties. I am not sure how much is in our gift to solve problems but we will examine pilot schemes for the new rural development plan. Teagasc is developing a pilot anaerobic digestion scheme using its own waste at Grange, County Meath. The scheme is only in its initial stages. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is open to the concept and will monitor the benefits with great interest.

Germany has a large number of anaerobic digesters but its refit tariff was very high and led to unintended consequences. Farmers stopped growing food and grew feed stock for anaerobic digesters instead. We do not want that to happen here.

Senator Keane asked how we can be carbon neutral but I cannot give her a simple answer. It has not been fully defined and is at various stages of definition internationally. Based on the findings of the NESC report, Teagasc will work in a qualitative manner and assess various pathways, as mentioned by Mr. John Fearon. However, one cannot do a quantitative assessment as far as 2050. Teagasc will examine a number of different measures that will range from reduced production, which the Department clearly disagrees with, particularly when Ireland uses a sustainable production system, to advanced mitigation where farmers use the very highest and most efficient technologies. I shall ask my colleague, Mr. John Muldowney, to make a few brief comments on carbon neutrality.