Mr. Jack Nolan:

On Senator Hopkins's point about NMPs, there are 800 agricultural advisers who are trained by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. If they get an opportunity, which, I hope, they will under the new CAP, there is much money to be saved through NMP. The price of fertiliser has risen by €50 or €60 per tonne this year. Aside from the saving for farmers, if we can get them to use other substances such as clover, it will be beneficial to prevent climate change. We will reduce the use of fertiliser and we will get credit for it.

Are we getting credit for what we are doing to combat climate change? Last year, we exported €12 billion worth of agrifood under the Origin Green label, which is based on a clean green image for Ireland. I would say that we are getting credit for combating climate change at the moment. We are taking measures to reduce our carbon footprint all of the time but there are opportunities for improvement. We are trying to enter a premium space so that we are not competing with markets. The Senator, I think, commented earlier that if we do not supply food then it will be done in a more unsustainable manner in other countries. At the moment, for example, we produce 10% of all infant milk formula in the world, which is a significant amount from a small country.

Food Harvest 2020 set targets for an expansion of milk production, which we met last year, of 50% or 7.5 billion l. Food Wise 2025 is about increasing the value of our exports, which is done through value-added, that is, through getting into markets like China where our milk is regarded as a premium product. That is what the Minister has been doing. He has been getting access to these markets.

There is a lot more to do with climate change in which CAP will play a major part. There is also a role for industry and farmers to play. The Teagasc research has shown a number of measures to be effective. Reference was made to Professor Boyle. He has spoken about measures that farmers could pick up today. For example, the dairy economic breeding index, EBI, where one can use better genetics on farms to increase the milk yield. We know that not all of the increase in milk yield has come from increased herd numbers and a good percentage has come from improved genetics. We could make better use of fertiliser. We have a huge problem with soil fertility in Ireland. Soil fertility levels today are the same as they were in the 1950s. When one considers the increased level of production, one will see that there are huge savings to be made. There is also savings to be made in the amount of crude protein and feed given to animals. We are feeding too much protein to animals and if one puts in too much protein then it comes back out again. These are things that farmers can do without support. We have in place significant supports in the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, for low-emission slurry spreading equipment. We also grant aid storage. In the future there will be a drive towards probably covering stores because of ammonia problems.

I remind members that as agriculture makes up two thirds of the land area of Ireland, what we do on land has a major impact. The last water quality report showed a 3% disimprovement in water quality and, therefore, we need to take action now. CAP is slightly down the road. It is not going to solve all of the problems but is part of the answer.

What are we doing in the Department? We provide a free sustainability advice programme in certain catchment areas, in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. The programme provides free advice to farmers to cause behavioural change. We do so because change is not just about financial incentives. People must understand why they are being asked to do something and buy into it.

On the TAMS specifications, unfortunately, as was seen last year during the snow storm, a number of sheds collapsed. The specifications that we have in place are very good. The costings were reviewed on the TAMS grant last year and updated where needed. The specifications are reviewed on a regular basis. I believe that the specifications that we have in place are necessary and serve an important purpose. I mean that we guarantee farmers that if they build to specification, they will have a shed or tank that will last.