Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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556. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide clarity on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding carbon credits in the agricultural and forestry sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36589/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is obliged to report on, and account for, all greenhouse gases in Ireland under our international obligations. This includes sequestration and emissions from agriculture and forestry. Sequestration and emissions for all types and ages of forests are included, based on the equivalent amount of CO2 removed from, or emitted to, the atmosphere.

The amount reported is based on a national estimate and is not reported for individual plantations or for each forest owner. Ireland's reporting and accounting does not imply ownership, but simply reflects the requirement for those reductions and emissions to be included in the State’s climate inventory.

The term 'carbon credit' is usually used in voluntary markets for activities that result in removing additional CO2 from the atmosphere based on set eligibility criteria.

The Commission is taking the following steps with a view to implementing a detailed carbon farming framework:

• Adoption of EU certification methodologies for different activities by 2025;
• Adoption of third-party verification rules: The Commission will issue implementing acts to set technical rules for third-party verification requirements by 2026;
• Recognition of certification schemes: By 2030, the Commission will approve certification schemes able to apply CRCF rules through Decisions, following a comprehensive assessment of governance, rules, and procedures, typically granting recognition for five years.