Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 20 February 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Climate Change Issues specific to the Agriculture, Food and Marine Sectors: Discussion (Resumed)

3:30 pm

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I echo what Deputy Jackie Cahill said about the three presentations. They were excellent and went into great detail. I want to touch on a couple of points on which I would like our guests to come back.

On the challenge of meeting our climate change targets in the context of the upcoming CAP, I am interested in hearing about the negotiations and how the CAP will be structured. Given the challenges posed by climate change, what changes need to be made to how the CAP will be structured the next time? What do the delegates believe needs to happen?

The Grain Growers Association seemed to be broaching the idea of a carbon tax. I ask for that idea to be fleshed out. Will it be a significant part of the debate? It is something the Citizens' Assembly recommended, but it is not something with which I agree. However, I am interested in hearing the individual delegates' perspectives.

On being an carbon-efficient producer of meat, I am interested in the views of Meat Industry Ireland, in particular. We are currently fifth in meat production but first in dairying. I am interested in the delegates' perspectives on what other countries might be doing better, those that are ahead of us in the beef production table. What are others doing from which we could learn to bring us up the table? I noted in MII's presentation that more carbon is emitted in British beef production than here. What are the differences between our system and the British system of production? Why is it much less carbon efficient?