Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 July 2015
112. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the outcome of the recent public consultation on the discussion document on the potential for greenhouse gas mitigation within the agriculture and forestry sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26375/15]
View answerThe Programme for Government included a commitment to publish a Climate Change Bill to provide certainty surrounding Government policy on this topic. My colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, has primary responsibility for the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, which was published on 19 January this year. The Bill provides for the submission of National Low Carbon Transition and Mitigation plans and National Climate Change Adaptation Frameworks to the Government.
In anticipation of this legislation my Department began to prepare an agriculture and forest sector mitigation plan. Following the publication of the outline heads of the Bill in 2013 my Department sought the views of our many stakeholders on what they considered important in formulating such a plan. Since then my Department has continued to take an open consultative approach to the development of the plan. A number of meetings with stakeholders were held during 2014. Following this, a Discussion Document on the Potential for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation within the Agriculture and Forest Sector was opened to public consultation for an eight week period from 27 January to 23 March 2015. Sixteen submissions were received from individuals and organisations including state and semi-state bodies, NGOs, business, farming and environmental groups. A follow-up stakeholder consultation seminar took place in Portlaoise on 15 May to further explore the issues raised. The aim of this consultation process was to stimulate thinking from the public and interested stakeholders on mitigation in the agriculture and forest sector. Their input will now help to inform the preparation of the sectoral mitigation plan which will in turn feed into a national mitigation plan.
The sectoral mitigation and adaptation plans are also being informed by scientific evidence and research findings. They will specify the policy measures to be undertaken for both mitigation and adaption and will be fundamental pillars of future national policy. Given its importance on food production and economic grounds, the Irish agriculture sector must be in a position to anticipate and adapt to the negative impacts of climate change, as well as looking to maximise the benefits for the food production system.
In anticipation of enactment of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, work is already underway on developing the National Mitigation Plan. The primary objective of this Plan will be to track implementation of measures already underway and identify additional measures within the longer term to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and progress the overall national low carbon transition agenda to 2050.
