Mr. Fergus Moore:

In the past, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s as well as in the early part of the 1980s, we would have planted a lot of peatland areas but in the last number of years we have moved away from planting on peatland soils. We have rules which do not allow for any planting on blanket or raised bogs. The vast majority of planting takes place on mineral soils which are basically wet clay soils that cover large parts of Ireland. Planting on soils that are a bit peaty can produce emissions in the first number of years but as the forests mature and close canopy, they become a net sink of carbon dioxide. The Senator is correct in terms of plantations and soil disturbance. When there is soil disturbance it produces some emissions but generally when the forest starts to grow, develop and close canopy, those emissions reduce and the forest turns back into a net sink.