Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the specific measures she will introduce in the agricultural sector to meet Ireland's national target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3% per year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13015/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The achievement of the 3% target calls for action by all sectors, not just agriculture. I believe that farmers are already playing their part in addressing this challenge and my Department is, and will continue to be, fully supportive of their efforts. In particular, we will continue funding various schemes which contribute to the reduction and removal of greenhouse gases, as well as supporting research into greenhouse gas abatement and renewable energy options.

It is worth noting that in recent years the sector has achieved significant production efficiencies which have kept emissions per unit of food as low as possible. I am confident that farmers will continue to pursue such efficiencies, and my Department and Teagasc will assist them as much as possible in this regard. In this context, the continued implementation of the Nitrates Regulations is having and will continue to have an impact, as it results in better use of nutrients with consequently less nitrogen applications and therefore less nitrous oxide emissions.

Recently introduced measures under the new Rural Environmental Protection Scheme are also expected to contribute to greenhouse gas abatement. These include the encouragement of minimum tillage, the use of clover swards and the adoption of low emission trailing shoe technology for slurry spreading. The scheme will also reward farmers for the planting and rejuvenation of hedgerows, which sequester carbon, and REPS farmers are being encouraged to establish high nature value woodland too, under the Forest Environment Protection Scheme, which will be fully rolled out in 2008. In terms of reduced fertiliser use and consequent emissions, organic farming too has a role to play, and is supported by my Department's Organic Farming Scheme.

The forestry sector is very important in addressing climate change, as it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is a valuable source of renewable energy, thereby displacing emissions from fossil fuels. Forests planted from 1990 onwards are currently taking in an average of 2.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. The majority of new planting is being carried out by farmers and my Department will continue to actively promote such planting under the Afforestation Grant Scheme in 2008.

Energy crops also have a role to play in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The extent of mitigation depends on total acreage of energy crops grown, so, to encourage farmers to grow more energy crops, I introduced a new National Energy Crop Premium worth €80 per hectare in 2007, to supplement the EU Premium of up to €45 per hectare available under the EU Energy Crops Scheme. As a further support measure, land planted with energy crops can also benefit from the Single Farm Payment. I also launched a new Bioenergy Scheme offering establishment grants of up to €1,450 per hectare to aid establishment of willow and miscanthus. I am glad to report that the Scheme is attracting keen interest from farmers. Since we launched the second phase of the Scheme last December, we have received over 150 applications for aid in respect of some 1,400 hectares.

I realise that further initiatives may be needed to address the challenge of climate change, which is why my Department has committed substantial funding, under the Research Stimulus Fund, to various research projects devoted to identifying sustainable greenhouse gas reduction measures and projects relating to energy crop production. A comprehensive research needs analysis was recently carried out by my Department and will be used to inform future calls for research in the area of climate change.

There are therefore a number of ways in which the farming sector can assist in the national effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, whether through efficiencies of production, the adoption of specific farming practices or the planting of forestry and energy crops. However it is important that we should not overstate what can be achieved in terms of reduced emissions. The imposition of unrealistically high targets for agriculture would create significant downward pressure on animal numbers, because there is no other way of achieving them. At a time when the prospects for the dairying sector are bright, and demand for beef is also set to rise, it would make neither economic not environmental sense to pursue such a course.