Mr. Barry O'Flynn:

At this stage the agriculture sector is a very tough nut to crack, given the position in Ireland.

In fact, there is still some debate about how one calculates the emissions from the sector. Forestry and carbon sinks will be part of the approach in the future, about which there is no question. We have a good opportunity to begin developing the forestry sector and increasing the rate of reforestation in the State. It is helpful to look at the issue in two ways. First, from the agriculture perspective, we have a very low carbon footprint. The question then is how we can improve that further to make our product, particularly our beef, more attractive to the outside market. Many beef buyers have very clear sustainability strategies for all of their suppliers. We should use our economic advantage to help to drive down emissions. Second, we must take a serious look at carbon sinks and indigenous offsetting for the agriculture sector. Passing the problem onto somewhere else is not the way to go.