Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the latter point, the Department consistently advises farmers regarding the rules and regulations and timelines concerning when the burning of uplands is permitted. It is also brought to their attention that those in breach of those regulations run the risk of disqualifying themselves from their entitlement to payments from the Department. There is also a Commission interest in these matters. I concur with the Deputy that out-of-season burning is entirely unacceptable.

We have been adamant in that regard. People such as those in the Wicklow Uplands Council have been quite proactive in working with farmers and finding ways of managing uplands that does not involve breach of the regulations.

I was interested in the Deputy's reference to the Paris Agreement. We have signed up to targets at a European Union level. It is important to remind ourselves occasionally that the Paris Agreement refers to meeting those targets without compromising sustainable food production. This brings us to the point that, by any comparison, our food industry - notwithstanding that it can do much more - is carbon-efficient by global standards. The Deputy referred to research by Teagasc, which has an independent budget for research that is quite innovative when we consider what it has achieved for the industry. Our ambition in the sector is to implement Teagasc research. Many people refer to the Teagasc marginal abatement cost curve, which is enabling us to tackle nutrient management issues in particular with respect to the application of chemical fertilisers and the appropriate management of organic fertilisers. That is the way forward in terms of science, innovation and research.

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