Mr. Sorley McCaughey:

On targets, the science tells us that we need to make these deep cuts by 2050. The European Council has agreed we must make cuts of between 80% and 95% and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change agrees. When the Deputy asks whether this target is realistic, we must ask whether the question relates to whether it is realistic if we are to avoid runaway climate change or realistic in terms of what Ireland can achieve. We have to be guided by the former requirement or Ireland will not have an agriculture sector worth talking about. That is the way in which we should view this issue.

Ms Gorman will discuss how the target ties into Ireland's commitment to agriculture. As Irish citizens, we acknowledge and fully understand the importance agriculture plays in the economy. However, as Ms Gorman will explain more fluently, the business-as-usual model we are currently following is not sustainable. We must acknowledge that things need to change in terms of both how we approach agriculture and how we will address our requirement to avoid a rise in temperature of more than 2°C.