Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We silo much of this. Today we are talking about emissions. We are only looking at that and we are not talking about biodiversity or adaptation. When we restore or rewet peatland, it not only produces an emissions benefit. Are the witnesses doing any work on the potential for adaptation? One of the things we will see as climate change impacts us more and more is that we will get a lot more rain and there will be a lot more flooding. If we allow natural areas to retain that moisture and it is not drained, that will have downstream benefits. Is there any research on or quantification of that, by a State or a private body, about what happens if other farmland downstream is being flooded because drainage is happening above? Are the witnesses doing any research on that?

When they are making decisions on different programmes, do they incorporate adaptation or biodiversity considerations into their decision-making processes?