Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 24 October 2019

Public Accounts Committee

2018 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 10 - Forestry Grants

9:00 am

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to move on to the carbon emissions targets for the Department.

Mr. Gleeson will have seen the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, report which is out today. Unfortunately, it does not make good reading for the Department. Agriculture emissions have increased by 1.9% in 2018. We are all in a situation now whereby we must reach the targets that were set for 2030 and 2050. We are told there is an all-of-government approach to make sure that happens. There cannot be any silos or individual Departments not pulling their weight. I accept that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is one of the few Departments that has a more challenging role in terms of carbon emissions but, nonetheless, an increase of 1.9% is significant. Could Mr. Gleeson give a reason for the increase in 2018? What is the Department's view on that?

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