Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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83. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when publication of the sectoral adaptation plan for agriculture envisaged under the national policy position for tackling climate change will be; the preparations and progress his Department has made towards the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38932/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department actively participates in the climate adaptation process through the steering committee for sectoral adaptation plans, which is under the Chairmanship of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. A key factor in the timing and progress of sectoral adaptation planning to date was the publication, in April 2013, of an EU Strategy on adaptation. Action 1 of that Strategy outlines, amongst other things, that by 2014, the European Commission will develop an adaptation preparedness scoreboard. The scoreboard is directly relevant to sectoral adaptation planning in Ireland. Discussions which involve the European Commission and all Member States are on-going. An update on progress will be provided at the next steering committee meeting in November.

In addition, I have formed a high level Climate Change Group to advise me on important issues in the development of national and EU policy on agriculture and climate change. This group comprises of officials from my Department, Teagasc, the EPA, Bord Bia and is chaired by my Department. This group will oversee the preparation of the draft climate adaptation plan for the agriculture and forestry sectors.