Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)

It does sound like the plan is replanting right now. I am worried about the lock-in and the examination of that lock-in.

I turn to the proposed curve modelling. The thing with a curve is it goes up. It seems to be the case that in all these curves - in all three scenarios being looked at - there is a plan for increasing dairy production and, in effect, increasing dairy emissions. How is that even remotely consistent with the short-term pressure Ireland is under in terms of our immediate carbon budgets and the prospect of significant fines? Is staying level not the most that can be argued for in the interim, rather than a curve with an idea that it will go down?

I am curious on that.

I have some questions on the modelling piece because it comes into Teagasc's piece as well. We know the national climate objective is not just around climate neutrality, which the science seems to suggest is about emissions; it is also around being biodiversity-rich and environmentally sustainable. How is that being modelled? We simply hear that it is so hard to model biodiversity, which I do not really buy. We had strong indicators being talked about in terms of the CAP previously for biodiversity and baseline levels for species. We now have nature restoration strategies. How is the modelling going now for improving how biodiversity richness, in terms of what comes out at the end, is being factored in, especially given the nature restoration obligations coming down the line? That is my second question; my first question is about the way the curve goes up.

I have two more questions. On the forestry piece and rewilding, what we have here is nature restoration. The diversification is a small shift to organic farming. It is 7.5%. That seems very low. I do not know why it is so low. Forestation is largely plantation based still. Grasslands are being diversified from animal agriculture to anaerobic digestion. Has Teagasc been modelling a land use shift, which is paid and renumerated for farmers, in terms of nature restoration and the kind of ecological care we are talking about? We are going to have to change how a lot of our land is used if we are going to hit our targets. If we do not, we are paying massive fines. Surely we should be paying the money upfront now to farmers, so they can plan.