Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will give Mr. Gleeson a few facts from a Teagasc document if he likes. According to our inventory up to now, peat was emitting 7.3 million tonnes. Teagasc has now done the research. It is getting it peer reviewed and it is down to 3.3 million tonnes or 3.4 million tonnes. That is a fair bit of a reduction. On top of that, we have not studied what grass, hedgerows and all the different things are emitting, or if grass was let grow and there was no stock.

There are two reports that might be worth anyone's while looking at, one from America and one from Scotland, to the effect that ruminants are actually an advantage. These reports have been done by scientists and the reports say that ruminants are an advantage to the whole climate thing instead of the opposite, which is what has been said up to now. It might be worthwhile for the witnesses to read those reports. I think one was actually on one of the apps in the last few days.

I ask Mr. Delany to look at the policy about moving the trees back from the ESB wires. While there is a major problem when electricity supply goes out, it also is costing a ferocious amount of money. It could be part of the forestry strategy or regulation or whatever it is called.