Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 604: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has established baseline data on energy inputs for each agricultural sector in addition to base line data for greenhouse gas emissions by the farming sector; the estimates for greenhouse gas emissions by the farming sector here for 2006 to 2008; the supports for farmers to pursue production efficiencies to reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas emissions; and his views on calculating their energy input by farm in view of the lack of available information on a national support scheme. [22630/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that energy inputs are calculated by the Environment Protection Agency for the whole agriculture sector, but not for the sub-sectors or at the level of individual farms. Baseline data have been produced on greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, including fuel usage, and it is worth noting that in recent years the sector has achieved significant production efficiencies which have kept down emissions per unit of food.

Research is ongoing through a programme in Teagasc, funded by my Department, to increase efficiency of use of all farm inputs to reduce energy use. Energy use accounts for about 4.5% of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture and while every effort is being made to improve the efficiency of production, the major focus at research level is on reducing emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

The latest year for which EPA figures are available for greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture is 2006: