Mr. Gavin Harte:

It is important to look at this in terms of each European country having a unique profile of carbon emissions. Ireland has a unique profile in terms of its agriculture sector, while Germany, for instance, has a unique profile in regard to industry. It is not a case of selecting one element and claiming it deserves special treatment. In that scenario, Germany could well argue for special treatment for its industrial sector. There must an equitable division in terms of effort, which will require a national job of work for all of us in this process. It comes back to how legislators devise a roadmap for sectors, as laid out in the proposed legislation, in terms of setting innovative targets. Those targets should be achievable but they should also be challenging. We need to see this as something that will stretch innovation, particularly from the point of view of business. Businesses which embrace sustainable and green enterprise identify the resulting competitive advantage as their gain from taking that approach. On the other hand, companies which are slow to embark on green enterprise would perhaps see financial savings through reduced energy costs as a reason for embarking on change in this regard. It is clear from the Irish profile that if we want to generate that type of innovation within the agricultural sector, then legislators must send out clear signals and devise clear targets.

On the specifics, there is great potential in the area of anaerobic digestion, for example. There is also a good opportunity in terms of diversifying the output of our agricultural sector, which would mean less of an emphasis on grass-based animals. I am hopeful that our strong agricultural sector, the backbone of the Irish economy, will, if given clear leadership, rise to the challenge of reducing our emissions. I realise there is great fear and concern about the changes that are required. None of us wants to change. Anybody who gives up smoking knows the challenge of change. We must have supportive structures and legislative clarity to assist people in making the transition. I believe agriculture can rise to the challenge.