Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein)
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I was very disappointed with the Citizens' Assembly recommendation regarding fines. That is entirely the wrong way to address the issue. We need to be realistic. When we consider the data, we see that Ireland undoubtedly has the highest figure in the EU for greenhouses gas emissions from agriculture. This reflects our economic structure. In fairness, and as the officials have stated, we never had an industrial base in the State. The industrial base on this island prior to partition was in Belfast but such a base never developed in this State. We have been heavily reliant upon agriculture and ruminant animals, such as cattle and sheep, which produce very high levels of methane emissions into the environment. That is the nature of our economy. If people want to destroy rural Ireland, then they should go for it if that is their view. It is not going to happen in this committee. Rural Ireland has developed its economy on the basis of agriculture.

I shall now turn to the aspect of solutions. The fact is that we have one million cattle, with more than one million cattle also in dairy, so we have very high herd numbers across Ireland. This is without even getting into sheep numbers and other animals that feed into the methane emissions and other emissions concerns. What types of incentives are there for change? I am aware of the beef genomics programme - on which I commend the Department - but what other incentives are there for farmers to change practices? Are there ways or means by which methane emissions from animals can be reduced? Will the witnesses tell the committee of the science that exists in this regard? It is my view that agriculture is Ireland's economy and it is the rural economy. This is the way it is. Who is seriously proposing that we will just destroy that overnight? We need, however, to discover what action we can take. I would like to get a sense of that.

At EU level, while Ireland is criticised for agriculture's high contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, it is actually commended on the research being carried out in this area. I want to get a better sense of what is happening in this arena from the officials. What is the Department's plan? I am aware that the officials have outlined some of it in their presentation but let us be real - the big issue relates to methane emissions. How can we reduce these? I have heard some reports of feed that can be given to animals to reduce the level of these emissions. What measures are available and what incentives can be given to farmers?

Reference was made to the contribution of biofuels. Ireland's sugar beet industry collapsed and one of the ways of reintroducing it would be to use the crop as a biofuel. Recently, the European Commission proposed to reduce the targets for the contribution of crop biofuels to transport. A presentation on that proposal was made to the committee. I understand that there may be a rowing back on that measure and that the Department and the Government would be opposed to it. We really have not developed the full potential of biofuel in Ireland. Let us consider the figures. Germany has 8,000 biogas plants, Britain has 600 and Ireland has one pilot scheme. The target is 7% for crop biofuel for transport and Ireland is at around the 1% mark. Why are we not doing better in that area, especially as it could help us to bring back the sugar beet industry? On the one hand, we were informed by the EU, quite rightly, that we need to look at the contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions. A number of reports have been compiled by the EU and it keeps challenging us on this matter. That is fair enough. On the other hand, however, the EU is reducing targets and hugely reducing incentives for people who would actually help to reduce those emissions. The EU is disincentivising potential investment in the sector. We have spoken about the crisis in the tillage sector in Ireland. This could be another opportunity for people to help to bring back the sugar beet industry.

I want to get a sense of the incentives for reducing methane emissions. There is no way of changing the fact that Ireland has a high reliance of beef, on dairy and on sheep sectors in our rural economy. No one in this committee is proposing that we undo that so we need to address the issue. On the issue of crop biofuel, I was very alarmed to see the EU preaching to us about greenhouse gas emissions while taking away one of the options we have to reduce the emissions, and one of the incentives we have for sectors in our economy.