I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together.
The Teagasc Greenhouse Gas Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for Irish Agriculture published in 2018 quantifies the opportunities for abatement of agricultural greenhouse gases and visualises the abatement potential of GHG mitigation measures, and the relative costs associated with each of these measures.
The afforestation rate used in the development of the MACC uses an afforestation rate of 7,000 hectares per year over the period 2021 to 2030. Afforestation is clearly the largest opportunity in the land use sector to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Forests planted now from 2021 to 2030 will make a significant contribution to removing greenhouse gases, particularly post 2030 as these forests get older. Forests planted within the last 30 years currently make up the majority of accountable removals in the land use sector. However, as forests mature the rate of sequestration reduces and therefore increasing afforestation rates of new young forests is important. The net greenhouse balance of the estate is strongly dependent on the level of harvest, deforestation and afforestation rates.