Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a pathway for agriculture. In each sector we have to work out these pathways. The Senator made the point rightly that Irish agriculture is more efficient in milk production and that the carbon intensity of milk is lower in Ireland than anywhere else, but the EU still had to set national targets. Where there were big sectors such as this, they brought them inside the emissions trading system, ETS, cap and trade model. Some sectors were brought in so, for example, if we were efficient in wind power we could get it onto our grid and get credits in the ETS. Agriculture has not been considered for the cap and trade arena, but in such an arena, whoever brings in a carbon efficient measure can sell carbon credits and get a direct return.