Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the agencies under his remit are working on scientific solutions to reducing methane emissions within the agricultural sector. [3884/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department continues to examine and advance understanding of various scientific solutions and abatement options in close liaison with Teagasc. There has been significant commitment of €15.5 million to climate change research projects since 2005 under the Research Stimulus Fund operated by my Department. This includes research into areas such as more efficient slurry application, increased use of clover, which would reduce nitrogen usage, methane reduction from enteric fermentation, non-inversion tillage and increasing the length of the grazing season.

I also announced last December that Ireland would participate in the initiative to establish a Global Alliance on research into the mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Ireland has consistently raised the urgent need to address the twin challenges of achieving food security and dealing effectively with climate change. World food production must be increased by 70% by 2050 (according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN) while at the same time there is also a need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – reconciling these aims is a major challenge.

In Ireland, agriculture accounts for 26% of our greenhouse gas emissions. Without reducing production, experts say cost effective mitigation in the sector is limited to no more than 4%. Because of the relative importance of agriculture to Ireland, we are aware of the need for research into mitigation measures and look forward to working with the other participants in this global alliance which, to date, include Australia, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, UK, US and Vietnam.