Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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82. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the agrifood sector will survive proposed the carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2690/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU Council Conclusions of October 2014 agreed on an overall 40% reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) for the EU by 2030 compared with 1990. Ireland, like all other Member States, will be required to undertake its share of this overall -40% target. At National level we have been engaged in intensive discussions, in a whole of Government approach, with the European Commission to highlight the importance of ensuring a coherent approach to the twin challenges of food security coupled with increasing global demand for food and EU climate ambition. An important step forward in this regard was taken at the October 2014 European Council where it was agreed that “the multiple objectives of the agriculture and land use sector, with their lower mitigation potential, should be acknowledged, as well as the need to ensure coherence between the EU's food security and climate change objectives”.The recent Paris agreement further recognises the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security.

We will continue to engage with the Commission to ensure that the target assigned to Ireland under the new effort sharing decision is fair and reasonable, such that the sector can grow, prosper and meet the increasing world demand for food in a sustainable manner. At the same time we will maintain our ambition to move towards carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production.