Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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1402. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard the development of a national framework for carbon farming, if Irish forest owners will see direct benefits from the sequestration they facilitate through growing trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57814/25]

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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1404. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard the development of a national framework for carbon farming, if consideration has been given to the implementation of a general methodology, as suggested by some operating in the industry, based on data regarding specific tree species, soil type and forest age has been considered, one whereby individual forest owners could also further provide site-specific data, if they wish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57816/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1402 and 1404 together.

My Department is leading the development of a national Carbon Farming Framework to support putting farmers, landowners, and foresters at the centre of meeting our National Climate objectives. On 15th October 2025, my Department published a draft set of principles in a policy document entitled “Carbon Farming - Developments at European Union level and Principles to develop Carbon Farming in Ireland”. The document has been informed by extensive stakeholder input gathered by a national working group on carbon farming, chaired by my Department and Climate KIC, the EU’s leading climate innovation agency and community.

Parallel to this draft policy document, my Department has launched a second public consultation to inform and guide the development of a National Carbon Farming Framework. The purpose of this consultation is to get further stakeholder feedback on these Key Principles to support the development of Carbon Farming in Ireland. I welcome all input into this consultation, which will be considered in the further development of the national framework for carbon farming. The consultation closes for comments on 30th November 2025 and further details are available on my Departments website.

I would also like to point out that the EU Commission has developed a carbon removals and carbon farming (CRCF) regulation (EU 2024/3012). The Commission is in the process of establishing tailored EU certification methodologies for different carbon removal activities including agroforestry, the planting of trees and forest management. The Commission plans to adopt a delegated act for these and other carbon farming methodologies, with a planned adoption by Q1 2026. My Department is engaged with the Commission on this process, which will help create the conditions for voluntary markets to support actions by forest owners such as removing carbon from the atmosphere by sequestration.