John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The beef is in the many herds of cattle, as the Deputy knows. I have recognised the difficulty, which is that we now have growing markets. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food may herself have referred to this when she addressed the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. There are huge increases in population around the world, along with unprecedented economic growth in countries such as China and India. There is a new affluence in such places and they are looking for more animal protein. The potential is there to expand the national herd and increase emissions as a result, but that will not keep us in compliance with our Kyoto commitments. There is a recognition of the reality and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is keenly aware of her environmental responsibilities.

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