Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the evidence the witnesses provided. Both sessions have been very informative and it has been extremely helpful for members to get the required information.

I want to start by asking about the agricultural sector and where we believe it is going to go, not just in Ireland but globally. By 2050, the date we are all talking about, there are expected to be two billion more people living in this world. How do the witnesses believe that number of people can be suitably fed? Some are taking land away from forestry. Do the witnesses believe that genetically modified, GM, food will be part of the solution? How will we find solutions so that we will have sustainable quantities of food for the entire population? There will be 9.7 billion people living in this world by 2050. Where do the witnesses see those figures going?

From the figures stated here this morning, there seems to be a conflict in terms of how many bovines there are in Ireland. The Environmental Protection Agency was here this morning and said that there are the same amount of bovines here today as there were in 1990. I believe there has been a slight contradiction in the evidence given here today. Will the witnesses provide clarity?

Will Professor Sweeney talk about methane in more detail? We had another discussion about it this morning when it was said that methane remains in the atmosphere for 14 years and should be considered on a different level compared with other greenhouse gases. What is Professor Sweeney's view on that statement? Where does he believe methane fits in the discussion around emissions, the carbon footprint and ancillary issues?

I agree totally with Mr. St. Ledger's statement on forestry, in particular the issue of buffer zones around green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, payments. It is probably the simplest way to bring forestry into Ireland. Some communities feel that forestry has been forced upon them because of the poor quality of the land, but if we all took a share of the burden it would be an appropriate way to achieve the level of forestry required. If we all played our part, it has been suggested that we could increase forestry by over 4% very quickly. We have to look at it in the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. The policy has to focus on forestry. That incentive could be a game-changer for it. There would be knock-on effects for good quality land and bad quality land. It does not matter when the linear length is being discussed, but it is something that could be worked into the actual working platform of most farms.

Where do the witnesses believe digesters fit in, particularly in terms of agricultural waste? The large number of dairy cows we have at the moment, and dealing with the knock-on effect of the waste produced by them, has to be taken into account. How could we put that into the system? Who should be the main driver of it? My view is that the co-ops should be involved at a very basic level because they have the financial force behind them to drive this idea, but I would like to hear the views of the witnesses. Do they feel it could be part of the solution? I also include, along with digesters, solar farms, wind turbine farms and whatever is used to cool milk. Can those things be made more energy efficient and be included in a smart farming project?

The final issue I want to raise is the planning of our towns and cities. Do the witnesses see heat distribution centres as having a role to play? Perhaps a biomass plant could be attached to a village or town, meaning that steam could power the heat systems. Does that have a place in Ireland? Should it be fitted into Ireland's planning framework? Where could that be initiated, and what is the starting point for it?