Mr. Bill Callanan:

I will ask my colleague, Ms Fay, to outline some of the research work we are doing on peat soils, such as the identification of them. The first step is to identify where they are and we have a project in that regard.

On the management of peat soils, we have two innovation projects that are being rolled out to effectively establish what are the best management practices to try to understand how we support farmers to reduce the emissions, as Senator Lombard suggested.

We have also invested significantly through Teagasc in the national agricultural soil carbon observatory to better understand what is involved. A lot of the inventory data are based on book values that have been around for a while. As they are international, Teagasc is doing some work to understand what the emissions from these soils are and to make them relevant to Irish circumstances.

On the planting of these soils with afforestation, we would not encourage that. Mr. Moore might comment on the emission factors associated with forestry. There is no real benefit. If we disturb these soils to plant trees, we will lose carbon. The carbon goes up in the air but it also goes out in the water in these soils.

The measurement of high-mineral soils going forward is based on a combination of the national agricultural soil carbon observatory and also the likes of the soil sampling scheme. For the first time, the Department is supporting the measurement. We had a very enthusiastic uptake from farmers in that regard. Farmers are effectively getting free soil samples to establish the level of basis nutrients, such as phosphorus and potassium, and lime status. Farmers are used to doing this but it also determines the carbon content of the soils. We are starting to bring awareness in that regard.

We did a voluntary review of the derogation two years ago and introduced requirements. The farmers involved are more intensive farmers who are generally quicker to take things up. If somebody is reseeding, it includes a requirement to include clover. The derogation is currently under review. It is a joint process between the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. In that context, there is a proposal, although it has not been concluded, to reduce the nitrogen allowances that are available to farmers by approximately 10%. That again is driving policy.

The Minister has made available €1 million towards developing the introduction of multispecies grasses, which because they have legumes as part of the mix are less dependent on artificial nitrogen. They are an important cohort in terms of being early adopters of actions that are generally positive as regards the direction of travel we are trying to encourage.

Similarly, derogation farmers are required to leave a certain number of hedgerow trees to grow, etc. That is part of it. Somebody from Teagasc told me that if it runs an event in any of the agricultural catchment areas where there are derogation farmers, one of which I visited last week, all the farmers will turn up to the discussion because they are quite involved in the environmental understanding of their impacts. In other areas, Teagasc would not get that level of turnout. As I said, we see derogation farmers as a cohort than can drive forward.

I ask my colleague, Ms Fay, to comment on the two research projects we have proposed to identify where some of these lands are located.