Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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75. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the strategy for climate adaptation in agriculture has integrated the new higher ambition for greenhouse gas abatement. [41608/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department published an Agriculture, Forest and Seafood Sectoral Adaptation Plan in 2019.  As envisaged in the National Adaptation Framework sectoral adaptation plans will be revised at a minimum every five years. 

As the deputy will be aware, work has commenced on the successor to the 2019 Climate Action Plan, which my Department is actively engaged with.  The revised Climate Action Plan will be a key mechanism for the delivery of the programme for Government commitments around the achievement of the 7% per annum greenhouse gas abatement target.  This time around the intention is for the Plan to include an increased focus on resilience and our response to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.  Very often adaptation and mitigation actions are interlinked and particularly so in the agriculture sector, therefore, having this type of integrated approach is important as we seek to maximise the co-benefits of our climate interventions. 

In addition, I will publish a climate and air roadmap for the sector which also recognises the need to build sustainable, resilient food production and land use management systems that meet our climate and environmental obligations.  The actions in the roadmap also seek to maximise the benefits from both an adaptation and mitigation perspective where possible.