Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is all very interesting. I am coming at it from the point of view of how it fits into the climate piece in terms of emission reductions. While agriculture has lower emission reduction targets for the coming years than other areas, it still has to meet very serious emission reduction targets. They are not as high as in other sectors.

Effectiveness, efficiency and the impact on soil are very interesting. I was interested in soil testing. I would love it if the witnesses could comment on how they think this work might be relevant if there is a future soils directive. It does look as though there might be an EU soil directive coming down the line. That would be important.

I am also looking to how it relates to reducing emissions. In that context, one of the areas where emissions are quite high from Ireland is in terms of nitrates. We have a derogation. Mr. Dolan mentioned the fact that by 2030 he felt nitrate use could be reduced and that it could be earlier than that. I would be very surprised if Ireland did that. We have just received a new nitrates derogation but, as I understand it, from 2025, that will expire.

Under the Pillar 1 eco-scheme, with regard to GPS-controlled fertiliser spreading, there are two of the five measures. It needs to be combined with at least one of the other measures in that eco-scheme, one of which is around the reduction in nitrogen usage and the other of which is around limits on livestock products.

How does Dolan Industries' strand, in terms of the technology it brings around GPS-controlled fertiliser spreading that is linked into soil testing, link with each of those other two measures? Both of them are designed to bring us on track to lowering nitrogen and coming, not just within the limits of the nitrates directive, but cutting emissions for-----