Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2004
107 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the hectarage of reforestation that has taken place inside areas designated as acid sensitive since the introduction of the acidification protocol; and if he can give an assurance that the protocol’s safeguards are being applied to reforestation as well as initial afforestation. [16104/04]
View answerThe acidification protocol, which was drawn up by COFORD — the National Council for Forest Research and Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency, applies to initial afforestation only. The hectarage of reforestation in such areas is not currently available.
108 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will provide the figures on which his Department makes an averaging approach to take account of differences in rates of carbon emissions and sequestration between mineral and peat soils, as stated in a recent written reply to Parliamentary Question No. 225 of 27 April 2004. [16105/04]
View answer1990 is the base year for carbon accounting under the Kyoto Protocol. Carbon emissions for peat and mineral soils are averaged on the basis that peat and minerals soils have comprised 30% and 70%, respectively, of the area afforested since 1990. Using this methodology and taking into account relevant scientific data, average soil emissions are set at 0.5 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year. With regard to sequestration, average rates are derived from area weighted average growth rates of tree species, taken from Irish forest inventory data. The inventory data cover all forests planted on both peat and mineral soil.
My Department, through the National Council for Forest Research and Development, is funding research on many aspects of carbon emission and sequestration in Irish forests. As new data becomes available from the research, emission and sequestration figures will be updated as necessary.
