Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Dillon for a comprehensive and interesting statement. My question is similar to the one I asked at the previous session, although I am not sure if the Teagasc representatives were listening to that. Our guests at the previous session did a very good job of outlining the opportunities for the sector. I ask the Teagasc representatives to guide us on the concerns and risks that might be there, given they might be in a better position to answer that. What should we be looking out for in terms of the environmental risks, as well as the social and economic risks? It seems that if we are to pursue the climate action plan target, it is a very fundamental change in how we do agriculture and energy in this country. While we should be ambitious and recognise the opportunities, we also need to be mindful of whatever risks there might be. The witnesses might tell us more about those. I am alluding to land use change and the impact on sectors within agriculture, and also the environmental challenges that might be there.

Another question is around potential leakage from plants. I had the pleasure of chairing the climate committee when the witnesses’s colleague, Dr. Ciara Beausang, came in last year. She did very interesting research before she joined Teagasc, when she was in UCD, and she seemed to outline that leakage is a reality in AD plants. Is that something Teagasc has looked at or is aware of? Is it factored into the analysis of the risks of AD?