Mr. Bill Callanan:

There is protection under the environmental impact assessment regulations, which were introduced a number of years ago. They effectively require that if a person proposes removing hedges over a certain length, which I think is 500 m, although I do not have the figures and can revert about it, screening or consent is required from the Department. Under the environmental impact assessment regulations, if people receive approval to remove a hedge, they do not need to replant that hedge. However, under the designation of agricultural features under the current basic payment scheme, because hedges are included for payments as designated features, as are drains, where farmers remove a length of hedgerow, they are required to replace that on the farm. That is an added protection to hedges that currently exist. There is a need for management of how we grow and build carbon stores within our hedges. Teagasc has a project to try to analyse and understand the total volume of carbon in a hedge, both above and below ground. Does Ms Fay want to comment?