Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2021
385. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he sees a positive future for the dairy and beef sector here and continued assurance of its ability to produce food at much lower levels of carbon emissions than any other country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51930/21]
View answerI am very aware of the contribution of the meat and dairy sectors to Irish agri-food as a whole, supporting significant levels of direct employment as well as their role in supporting rural economies and the wider national economy.
The Department and I continue to prioritise supporting the sustainable development of these sectors including through targeted supports aimed at supporting primary producers to increase the environmental and economic efficiency of their operations.
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 supports Ireland’s transition to Net Zero and achieve a climate neutral economy no later than 2050.
Ag Climatise, the National Climate and Air Roadmap for the Agriculture Sector published by my Department last December, is a living document which sets out 29 actions designed to achieve a climate neutral agriculture sector.
In addition, I am confident that the strategic framework set out in the recently published Food Vision 2030 strategy, sets out an effective pathway to deal with these challenges, while establishing Ireland as a world leader in sustainable food systems.
The use of technologies such as the economic breeding index, genomics in breeding decisions and milk recording, as well as efficiencies in pasture and manure management are all important tools currently used in the management of greenhouse gas emissions in dairy production.
Global trade conditions will be crucial in determining the outlook for the Irish meat and dairy sectors over the medium to longer term.
While the outlook for the sector remains broadly positive, the sector continues to face challenges including the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ensuring the continued operation of Irish food supply chains and the pursuit and development of new markets remains a key priority for my Department.
