Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Teagasc Annual Report 2018: Discussion

Photo of Marcella Corcoran KennedyMarcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I am watching proceedings in the Dáil like a hawk. I thank Professor Boyle and his colleagues for coming in this afternoon. How much is accrued from the industry levy? How is it imposed and collected?

According to the numbers provided, there are 501 researchers in Teagasc. What is the breadth of the research they are doing and what is done with the outcome of that research?

It is impressive that Ireland is the fifth most successful applicant for Horizon 2020. What types of projects are being funded?

Our guests have mentioned the challenges of Brexit and the investment that will be required. What does the innovation referred to in the report involve?

Is Teagasc doing anything about carbon farming? There has been much discussion about carbon farming at the Joint Committee on Climate Action to try and encourage farmers to sequester carbon. A number of methods such as sliver pasture, cover crops, mulching, composting and all of that kind of thing have been suggested. The restoration of wetlands, regenerative and conservation agriculture are things we heard about at this committee. Is that something Teagasc is examining and could be recommending for farmers in the future?

I turn to research on antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance. Those are worrying developments that have happened over recent years. What kind of progress has been made on that kind of research?