Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

202. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the measures by which his Department will meet an emissions reduction target of 22% by 2030; and the additional measures that would be implemented if his Department is required to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030. [26622/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In November 2021, the Climate Action Plan was published, setting out an ambitious reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the agriculture sector of between 22% and 30% by 2030 when compared with a 2018 baseline. These are challenging targets.

The achievement of this target will take a whole-of-government, whole-of-sector approach, but I remain confident in the sector's ability to achieve its climate targets.

Specific greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures included in National Climate Action Plan 2021 for the agriculture sector, to be implemented to achieve the target emissions reduction by 2030, include:

- An overall reduction in chemical nitrogen fertiliser use to 325,000 tonnes by 2030. The Plan places significant emphasis on measures that will maintain grass productivity with reduced levels of chemical fertiliser use. These measures include an increased use of lime on farms, a greater uptake of low emission slurry spreading technology, and the use of clover and multispecies swards within our grass based system, which are less dependant on chemical nitrogen inputs. On nitrogen the plan also sets out a significant shift towards the use of nitrogen fertilisers containing inhibitors (Protected Urea).

- Improved animal breeding by providing targets for milk recording on dairy farms and weight recording on suckler beef farms.

- Improved animal feeding by focusing on utilising feed additives during the housing period and reducing the crude protein content of livestock feeding stuffs. 

- Reducing the average finishing age of cattle across the decade through improving production efficiencies on our farms.

- Improved sustainability of our food system will also be achieved through significant increases in the area organically farmed in Ireland.

The Plan also commits agriculture to providing feedstocks toward the production by 2030 of 1.6 TWh per annum of indigenous sustainably-produced biomethane for injection into the gas grid by 2030.

In addition, the Plan sets out further measures that will be necessary for agriculture to meet its targets, these include agroforestry, afforestation, developing a carbon farming model and exploring methane-reducing feed additives for pasture-based solutions.

By implementing the measures contained within the Climate Action Plan, I am confident that we can transition the sector to a more long term sustainable platform, with co-benefits for water, air quality and biodiversity, while at all times, maintaining productivity in the sector. I have repeatedly indicated that research and innovation will be needed over the decade in order to bring the sector into compliance with its carbon budget ceiling, a position which is very much consistent with all sectors of the economy.