Results 2,741-2,760 of 23,915 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is because we have not made significant progress on them so far for the EPA to say that it can with authority include them as measures that will produce outcomes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Forestry is an area where we feel there is potential. We have announced a new forestry programme in the past few months. It is to significantly change the incentives for farmers to take that up. We hope we will see progress on that. One of the other key diversification opportunities is AD, the strategy for which will be published this quarter. We want to see that lead to more AD...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is still under consideration. It is one of the steps that remain to be considered fully.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Models have been looked at as to how such a scheme could work, were we go ahead and step it out. I have been engaging with stakeholders throughout the agriculture sector as regards the place a reduction scheme might play. There is very considerable opposition among farmers and throughout the food supply chain to the introduction of such a scheme. There are lots of measures which we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It continues to be under consideration. Overall, when we look at the agrifood sector, and when I look at it myself, our objective is to continue to produce food and to maintain food production but to reduce the emissions-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is still under consideration. It will not be published this quarter. I will continue to engage with stakeholders on it but there is no certainty at the moment, pending that further engagement, as to timelines.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Across the various ranges of the steps we are taking, we are stepping them out. The challenge around this particular one is that it could potentially have an impact on food production, which has a detrimental output.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Our capacity to produce food is a valuable thing that farmers do and something I want to see continue. I do not want to see our capacity to produce food diminish. In fact, anywhere that can produce food will need to produce more of it in the years ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We continue to invest in research as well, and there is significant-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Not necessarily. Research is evolving very quickly here. We are conducting significant research at the moment as regards the capacity for feed additives to significantly reduce methane emissions. For example, the research which has been conducted can show in-house systems that can potentially reduce methane by up to 30%. Obviously, we are mostly pasture-based. That is being considered as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: If Deputy Whitmore had been following my approach and my engagement across the agriculture sector closely, she would see that at all times I am honest about the challenges we have and what we have to do. I have been honest in the answer I have given her today as well as to where this particular proposal stands. I have been honest as well and provided solid leadership and clarity throughout...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----given its land area. It is likewise in many other parts of the world. We must also be honest about the importance and the challenge coming down the tracks due to population growth and the fact countries that can must produce food. The challenge for all of us is to produce that food to the best of our capacity and productivity while reducing the emissions footprint of how we produce it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach. Going back to dairying and whether that produces the food developing countries need, many products come out of our dairy sector. There is no doubt the food is very nutritious and a very worthwhile part of a balanced diet. It is a strong part of our diet, but also something that can really add to nutrition in many parts of the world. For example, I was in Nigeria...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have ground to make up. We are no different from any other sector in that. Indeed, some sectors are even further behind. We are making progress, but we have ground to make up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It can be. Making it up in the short term is a big ask, but there is capacity for the measures we are putting in place to build momentum. We will see that momentum building in agriculture, as it has to. It was good to see farmers’ work, which is still ongoing, starting to show real results in terms of last year’s reduction in emissions. Consider the significant change in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes. Teagasc’s marginal abatement cost curve, MACC, and the assessment of the measures we have in place and are being worked on show that it can be achieved. It will take a hell of an effort, but it can be done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan Review: Discussion (Resumed) (30 Nov 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Quite unusually in economic terms, we had a dairy sector that was constrained by quotas for approximately 30 years. That led to a distortion of the balance between agriculture’s various sectors, as dairy could not expand. Following the removal of quotas at European level, we saw an expansion in the dairy herd. There has now been a stabilisation and, indeed, a small net reduction of...