Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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851. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost associated with the proposed review of the Teagasc marginal abatement cost curve per action 303 of the climate action plan; if he plans to receive periodic or interim reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15911/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Greenhouse Gas Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (GHG MACC) for Irish Agriculture quantifies the opportunities for abatement of agricultural greenhouse gases, as well as the associated costs/benefits and visualises the abatement potential of greenhouse gas mitigation measures, and the relative costs associated with each of these measures.

The original MACC curve, out to 2030, initially published in 2018 is currently under review. This is being carried out by Teagasc using internal resources and it is expected a peer reviewed paper will be published in the short term. This review will mark as complete the action under the Climate Action Plan to review the existing MACC.

Funding of €2,198,002 has also been granted under the Department's 2021 Competitive Research Call to the project 'Land-Use, Agriculture and Bioenergy Measures for the Abatement of Climate Change (LAB MACC)' .

This new project will build on the previous Marginal Abatement Cost Curve and quantify mitigation associated with a range of new measures that reduce nitrous oxide emissions, enhance carbon sinks via land-use and displace fossil fuel emissions via closed farm nutrient loops using enhanced production of bio-based products. The review of the existing MACC will also input into this wider LAB MACC project.

The project commenced on 1/11/2021 and has an end-date of 31/10/2026. Interim project progress reports will be submitted after 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months with the final progress report at 60 months and a final report.