Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

751. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s work to explore measures to encourage the use of inhibited urea, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55514/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Regulatory measures under the Nitrates Action Programme were introduced in February 2025 through SI 42 of 2025; the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and have now come become effective from 15th September 2025. In the changes introduced through the amendment, a provision has been included to allow a restriction on the use of uninhibited urea in granular form from 15th September 2025.

My Department has also supported a Teagasc run communications campaign to promote the use of inhibited urea during Spring 2025, this included the publication and dissemination of a flyer highlighting the advantages of using inhibited urea, and testimonials of famers who have started to use it on their own farms. Work to encourage the use of these new technologies is continuing through knowledge transfer programmes supported by my Department such as the Teagasc Signpost demonstration farms and the Signpost Advisory Programme.

The use of inhibited urea on Irish farms has increased markedly over the last number of years. Fertiliser records detail increases in the volume of purchase by Irish farmers of inhibited urea products of 18% in 2022/2023, and 50% in 2023/2024. The actions I have outlined will further increase this uptake and contribute significantly to a reduction in emissions from the sector in the years ahead.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

752. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s work to tackle the challenge of securing access and cost of feed in the organic livestock sector, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55515/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In Budget 2026 my Department has received an allocation of €58.6 million to provide for a continuation of financial support to organic farmers and to encourage the production of organic foods. This will also facilitate a targeted reopening of the scheme to farmers in the tillage sector.

There is strong demand for organic cereals, for oats for export markets, and for organic feed - this was confirmed in my Department's organic feed surveys in 2024 and 2025, which highlighted the need for more organic cereals to be grown.

Government’s increased investment in organic farming has resulted in significant 5-year growth in Ireland, as follows:

• 248,000 hectares are now under organic production, or 5.5% of Ireland’s agricultural land, representing a growth of 243% since 2020.
• 5,500 farmers are now registered under the Organic Farming Scheme, a 223% increase on 2020’s figures.

• Expansion of the Organic Farming Scheme’s (OFS) which supports farmers in their conversion to Organic farming.
• Establishing the Organic Strategy Forum which brings together twenty-three organisations spanning the supply chain from farm through to market. In September 2024, a new National Organic Strategy for 2024-2030 was launched.
• Developing and launching the Organic Trading Hub to provide a dedicated resource for Certified Organic Operators to trade in certified organic farm inputs and outputs.
• Expansion of the Organic Processing Investment Grant (OPIG) scheme which aids organic processors who wish to invest in developing facilities for the processing, preparation, grading, packing and storage of organic products.
• Created under TAMS the Organic Capital Investment Scheme, which provides support specifically for organic farmers with the aim of ensuring a regular supply of high-quality organic produce for the market.
• My Department is supporting a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project on Adopting and Advancing Innovative Integrated Weed Management (IWM) Practices for Organic Tillage and Vegetable Production Systems. This is a 5-year project with an overall budget of approx. €1.5m. This project will trial and promote the adoption of innovative mechanical and thermal weed control technology on organic farms. The learning will be beneficial to our organic farmers as we increase our cereal and vegetable areas.
• In addition, Teagasc and the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) will support farmers to improve their feed autonomy through a targeted plan in relation to grazing management, multispecies swards, clover and homegrown cereals to help minimise the need to import organic feeds.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

753. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s preparation of a Land-Use Strategic Implementation Plan to deliver the Coillte Forest Estate Strategic Land-Use Plan, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55516/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988, the development of the implementation plan to deliver its Forest Estate Strategic Land Use Plan is entirely a matter for the company, and my Department is not involved in its preparation. I have accordingly referred the Deputy's question to Coillte for direct reply.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

754. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s work to raise awareness among forest owners of the impact of timing when deciding to fell their forest, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55517/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department developed a Felling Decision Tool to provide forest owners and managers with information on the estimated timber revenues for future management interventions. This tool may be used to assist in deciding when to fell a forest, by providing financial information on the implication of felling earlier or later than when the financial returns are normally at their highest.

The Felling Decision Tool has been promoted in the following ways during 2025:

• An information note has been prepared on the Felling Decision Tool which is available online. Hard copies of the note were also prepared for dissemination at DAFM funded knowledge transfer events.

• In the context of the Storm events awareness was also drawn to the Felling Decision Tool through a press release.

• A circular was issued to all registered foresters and stakeholders titled: Circular 14 of 2025: Availability of Forestry Decision Support Tools.

• An online video was published to demonstrate the use of the tool and provide greater visibility to the tool.

Delaying the felling of a forest can retain and grow the carbon stocks within a forest for an additional period of time. Research has shown that this extension of rotation age can offer one of the largest, most cost-effective and short-term pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration. However, forest owners and managers have to be mindful of the impact of extending the forest rotation on aspects such as forest stability, delay in obtaining clearfell revenue and marketability of larger log sizes.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

755. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s launching of complementary actions in 2025 under ACRES cooperation projects, aimed at reduction in land use emissions, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55518/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Participants in the Co-Operation stream of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) have the opportunity to apply for complementary actions in the form of Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) and Landscape Actions (LAs).

NPIs are actions designed to achieve environmental improvements on the farm, which can also contribute to wider environmental objectives and increase a farmer's capacity to improve field scores through more appropriate management.

LAs can be large-scale or more targeted measures which focus on issues such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub, threatened species and water quality protection, thereby offering benefits for both the local and the wider environment.

Both NPIs and LAs can improve the results-based score achieved on the particular holding, potentially leading to increased payments for participants in the scheme.

A variety of Hydromorphology actions are available as part of the LAs, which could contribute to peatland restoration, although on a relatively small scale. The first application window for LAs opened on 18th July and closed on 30th September, with 842 plans containing a total of 6,432 actions submitted during this time. These applications are currently being evaluated and it is expected that decision letters will issue before the end of the year. It is also expected that a further application window will open during 2026.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

756. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s identification of funding mechanisms that would support emissions reductions from land use, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55519/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy is aware, land use in Ireland is complex and multifaceted. The Land use, Land use change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector faces extremely difficult challenges in reducing emissions due to the biogenic nature of land use, historic land use, cultural and societal issues and uncertainty as our scientific understanding of emissions and activity levels for this sector advances.

My Department has invested heavily in recent years in research and projects, with the objective to reduce the uncertainty in the land use emission factors and sequestration. These include, but are not limited to, the National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory (NASCO), the National Soil Monitoring Program, the Signpost Farms, the Repeat Peat soil mapping project and the Teagasc led D-TECT project, which is investigating the drainage status of peat soils.

Peatlands cover 21% of our land area, and 64% of our total soil organic carbon stock. They are the largest store of carbon in the Irish landscape. However, this carbon store is very vulnerable. To address this, my Department funded two locally led European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects operating in the midlands, FarmPeat & FarmCarbon, exploring the potential for reduced management intensity of farmed peatlands. This has fed into the development of the results based scorecards in ACRES, with over 650,000 hectares of upland area scored to date.

Launched in 2023, the Forestry Programme (2023-2027) proactively assists and supports the planting of trees and forests in Ireland. The overall funding of €1.3 billion represents the largest ever investment by an Irish Government in tree planting. An expanded and sustained afforestation programme will improve the sink capacity of the national forest estate and contribute to LULUCF targets. Additionally, my Department secured a 5.7% increase in funding for the forestry sector in budget 2026.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

757. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s development of a sectoral adaptation plan for the agriculture sector, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55520/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

758. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s development of a sectoral adaptation plan for the forestry sector, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55521/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

759. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s development of a sectoral adaptation plan for the seafood sector, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55522/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 757, 758 and 759 together.

My Department recognises the significant and growing challenges that primary producers face as a result of climate impacts such as flooding, drought, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Supporting resilience, sustainability, and long-term viability in the agriculture, forestry, and seafood sectors is a core objective under my Department’s Statement of Strategy, and climate adaptation is central to achieving this goal.

In line with the commitments set out in the Climate Action Plan and the National Adaptation Framework (NAF), my Department has prepared a new Agriculture, Forestry and Seafood Sectoral Adaptation Plan (2025–2030). A public consultation on the draft Plan was recently completed, and the final Plan will be published shortly. This Plan forms part of the whole-of-Government approach to climate adaptation and outlines practical measures to help agriculture, forestry and fisheries prepare for and respond effectively to the increasing risks posed by climate change.

The Plan sets out actions to build advisory and technical capacity, strengthen local climate preparedness, and enhance knowledge transfer and innovation across the sector. It also aims to integrate adaptation more closely with mitigation and sustainability measures under the CAP Strategic Plan, Food Vision 2030, the National Forest Strategy (2023–2030), and the Seafood Development Programme 2021-27. Through these efforts, my Department is ensuring that adaptation becomes an embedded and forward looking part of agricultural policy, safeguarding rural livelihoods and the wider agri-food system against future climate challenges.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

760. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s development of a system for the monitoring and reporting of methane reducing feed and manure ingredients, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55523/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under EU Law (Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003) feed additives must undergo a rigorous safety assessment before being placed on the market. This legislation ensures the protection of human health, animal health and the environment. All feed additives intended for use in animal nutrition must receive a favourable opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before being considered for authorisation by the European Commission for their use and placing on the market. The European Commission decides whether to grant or deny the authorisation of feed additives through an Implementing Regulation. In doing so, the Commission is assisted by Member States (including Ireland) within the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed – Animal Nutrition. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine represents Ireland at this Standing Committee.

In April 2022, 3-Nitroxypropanol (trade name Bovaer) was authorised by the European Commission as a methane-reducing feed additive for use in feed for dairy cows and cows for reproduction. There are currently no other methane-reducing feed additives authorised for use in the EU.

In addition, the EPA has established a consultative group to evaluate the science underpinning new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions. The group will evaluate a broad range of new technologies, including feed additives and technologies with the potential to reduce emissions from stored animal manures. The evaluations will be based on peer reviewed scientific literature to determine the potential mitigation of these new technologies and the requirements to facilitate inclusion in Ireland’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.