Information and Communications Technology

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020

Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Questions (820)

Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

820. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 971 of 24 November 2020, the reason software (details supplied) is not publicly available given that taxpayers paid for its development; if the software is not available publicly, if it is being purchased or licensed from any other organisation, such as a second or third-level college or university; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41565/20]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Carbware software was not purchased or licensed from any other organisation. In order to ensure repeatability and consistency of reporting forest sinks, the CARBWARE system was developed as a stand-alone software tool with well-defined database structures and methodological work-flows. CARBWARE has never been publicly available to download, as it was designed solely for use in all of Ireland’s international reporting commitments in relation to forestry and climate change.

The CARBWARE software itself is owned by my Department but the software is no longer maintained and no further investment in the software is envisaged, as the Department has moved to using the Canadian Forest Service Carbon Budget Model.