Mr. Bill Callanan:

I will describe different levels to answer that. The Deputy is correct, in that agriculture's important position is implicit in the climate Act, which recognises the special role of agriculture in terms of food, fuel, fibre, production and so on, as well as its social importance to rural Ireland. Its recognition within the structure will influence the fair share of lifting it will do. What we are trying to communicate is that agriculture has to do its part. In my opening statement, I identified that the pathways towards doing that were reducing and removing emissions and making a contribution to sustainable energy. That is our general direction.

The Department has been particularly open to that engagement at different levels, for example with farm bodies and the continuous understanding to look at the challenge that is before us. Deputy O'Sullivan drew attention to Ag Climatise. We were out of the blocks early in identifying the actions farmers needed to take in order to deliver on it. We deal with 140,000 farmers. At individual farm level we need to break it down and reduce it rather than giving high-level messages. This is translated through the signpost farm programme. Teagasc has engaged with industry in developing approximately 100 signpost farms around the country, which will profile and push out those actions that farmers need to do. There are different levels of engagement at individual farm level. We have also engaged with industry around the messages they need to give to their farm suppliers to achieve sustainability so they are coherent and consistent across independent businesses. At the upper end there is engagement with farm bodies around the implications and expectations.

I must be clear that from all of the levels that I have seen, farmers are engaged and understand the need to deliver on the climate agenda. It is very much to the forefront because agriculture contributes to climate change, can contribute to the solutions and is also impacted by climate change. There are people working in that environment every day.

The Deputy's last question was about alternative pathways. We have identified within the Climate Action Plan 2021 the need to look at diversification options and to look at carbon farming as a model of support. They are identified as part of that process. We must be equally honest about methane. It needs to be on a reduction trajectory but it is not the same as CO2. Separately, there needs to be an open and honest debate on what is the quantum that can be delivered. Those are identified in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. They have been recognised by the Government and are part of the programme for Government. They will necessarily feed into the overall agreed approach across Government and across all of the Government Ministers.