John McGahon (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The big issue with carbon sequestration has always related to how to calculate its value in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the European Commission will on 30 November publish rules on how that will be quantified, which will start the debate process in the European Parliament. Naturally, we want to ensure that those calculations are beneficial to carbon farming and that the certification process will not be too onerous on farmers to take part in. What does Dr. Moran consider to be the correct quantitative scheme and what does it need to look at to stimulate carbon farming in Ireland? How could a certification scheme be kept simple to encourage small-scale farmers to get involved? When it comes to carbon farming in general in Ireland, are we making it attractive for farmers to get involved in the first instance?

My final question is for Dr. Byrne. At the moment, 11% of Ireland is under forestry and the Government's target is for that to be 17% by 2030. Is that a feasible target in the next eight years?