Mr. Bill Callanan:

As I have said before, we must be mindful that Ireland is an international supplier of food. The Department is obliged to identify what can be done by farmers, to show leadership by acknowledging what is done and to identify and recognise the challenges that we will face to achieve our goal to reduce emissions.

In terms of the international market, we are clearly aware that there is a value for and expectation of sustainability. There is an onus on us, particularly on this side of the table, to validate and confirm sustainability claims when they are being made because of the apparent risk, if an element is challenged or criticised, of damaging the overall brand. Ireland is viewed as a very green, food-producing nation. As I said at the outset, from a livestock perspective, a rain-fed, grass-based production system is internationally recognised as being positive from the perspective of welfare and the environment.