Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to ensure that Ireland's grass-based agriculture, boglands and forestry are taken into account as carbon sequesters in the upcoming discussions at European level for European Union 2030 emission targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13927/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has adopted a whole of Government approach to developing climate policy. We have been engaged in intensive discussions with the European Commission for some time now highlighting the importance of ensuring a coherent approach to the twin challenges of food security and climate change.

As part of our ongoing engagement at EU level, my colleague Minister Naughten and I met recently with Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy to discuss proposals on the EU’s Effort Sharing Decision and on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).

The meeting provided me with the opportunity to restate the commitment of the Irish agriculture sector to improving efficiency and driving down emissions, and to re-emphasise the importance of reflecting the 2014 European Council Conclusions in the proposed effort sharing decision – particularly, in terms of their recognition of the low mitigation potential of the sector and their reference to the inclusion of afforestation and LULUCF as part of future climate and energy policy.

Afforestation, the creation of new forest, is included as a specific mitigation measure in paragraph 2.14 of the Council Conclusions. This is important for Ireland as afforestation is the main cost-effective land-based climate mitigation tool available to us. Climate change mitigation by forests, forest fuels and wood products is one of the principal drivers of the policy to expand forest cover out to mid century. Annual estimates of the current level of uptake of carbon dioxide by forests are provided by my Department to the Environmental Protection Agency. Projected levels of uptake in forests and storage in solid wood products out to 2020 have been provided to the European Commission under Decision 529/2013 on land use, land-use change and forestry.

We will continue to work closely with the Commission prior to the launch of proposals for an effort sharing decision, which are expected later this summer.

It should also be noted that Ireland is one of a small number of EU countries to have elected to report on cropland and grazing land management activities under the Kyoto Protocol (KP). This would allow Ireland to take advantage of any sequestration benefits that may be allowed in the future from these activities.