Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 April 2023
144. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline how the agricultural sector will reach the emissions targets for 2025 and 2030 given the continuing rise in Ireland's emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19885/23]
View answerThe 25% sectoral emission ceiling set for the agriculture sector is a hugely challenging target and one that will see our sector change over the coming decade with scientific and technological solutions evolving all the time.
In the Climate Action Plan 2023, Agriculture has focused on three themes: Inputs and additives, husbandry practices and diversification. These measures include reducing chemical nitrogen usage and changing fertiliser type; providing voluntary diversification options for farmers, whilst also improving the environmental dividend from our farmed land. Each of these measures are supported by a range of actions, setting out a viable pathway towards reaching Agriculture’s target.
2023 will see the introduction of a National Fertiliser Database which will allow a range of information on fertiliser products, fertiliser economic operators and end users to be collected. It will also support farmers in reducing usage and engaging with industry led sustainability measurement.
Nitrogen reduction is also supported through the continuation of aid for Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment. Over 5,100 applications have been paid in full under the LESS measure of the Targeted Agricultural Modernization Scheme 2 since its launch in 2015.
From 2023, funding for this measure will increase from 40% to 60% under the recently launched TAMS 3 scheme. As well as reducing the chemical fertiliser allowances for farmers under Nitrates legislation, the use of protected urea is also being promoted which will help achieve ammonia emissions targets in addition to GHG emissions reductions.
In 2022, DAFM established the Food Vision Dairy, and Beef and Sheep Groups. Their purpose was to advance environment and climate actions for the dairy, beef and sheep sectors identified in the Food Vision 2030 strategy, taking account of the requirement for the sectors to contribute to achieving our climate targets.
Both the Beef & Sheep and Dairy Groups have recently submitted their final reports, which have been published. Both groups recognised the contribution that methane mitigating breeding strategies can play in building carbon efficiency traits into our livestock population. For example, we would very much like Ireland to become the first country in the world to genotype all livestock in the country.
Reducing slaughter age of cattle is another key recommendation of the Food Vision 2030 Beef and Sheep group. To deliver on these measures the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme introduced in 2023 is designed specifically to improve the environmental sustainability and genetic merit of the suckler herd.
The overall allocation to this scheme is €256 million plus an additional €4 million for mandatory training for all participants over the next five years.
Diversification opportunities are or will be available to farmers include Tillage, Anaerobic Digestion, Organics and Forestry.
In tillage, support is being provided through the current CAP Strategic Plan’s Protein Aid Scheme with an increase in aid being provided from €3million to €7million. Support is also being provided for new tillage land conversion through the Tillage Incentive Scheme and carbon sequestration by the tillage sector through the Straw Incorporation scheme.
Delivery of a biomethane industry of scale will be important for agriculture but also for industry and the decarbonisation of heat supply. I have recently appointed consultants to help to develop a Biomethane Strategy by Q3 of 2023. There is a five-fold increase in funding for Organic Farming to €256m to triple the area of land farmed organically to 7.5%.
The number of farmers farming organically has more than doubled to approximately 4,300. Organic farmers are also eligible for support of 60% in the Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS) and have priority access to the 2023 Agri-Climate Rural Environmental Scheme (ACRES). The TAMS 3 Scheme opened recently consisting of 10 different schemes which will support sustainable farming.
For example, the Solar Capital Investment Scheme has seen the grant rate increased for Irish farmers from 40% to 60%, with a €90,000 investment ceiling, assisting farmers to generate renewable energy for use in their farming businesses. Overall, the CAP Strategic Plan has seen a significant increase in national co-funding, bringing the total budget to almost €10 billion.
This represents a significant increase in funding compared to the previous Rural Development Programme and includes €1.5bn for the new agri-environment scheme – ACRES.
Ireland continues to make progress on the commitments made in Climate Action Plan 2023 with respect to reduced management intensity on soils and in terms of afforestation.
These commitments are supported by DAFM’s recent investment in the establishment of a ‘National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory’ by supplying the scientific infrastructure to measure GHG fluxes from soils under agricultural management.
This includes approximately 30 GHG Flux Towers across a range of soil types to better understand our emissions and placing Ireland at the forefront of EU carbon sequestration research. Last November, the Irish Government announced a proposed investment of €1.3 billion in Irish forestry over the next five years, representing the largest ever investment by an Irish Government in tree-planting.
The comprehensive package of measures included in the National Forestry Programme for 2023 to 2027 will see an increase in forestry premiums of between 46% and 66%.
Ireland cannot achieve its ambitions of climate neutrality without the land use sector also making a contribution over the decades ahead. Ireland’s recently launched country wide network of Teagasc supported Signpost Farms will showcase how best practice management techniques can be adopted on a wide range of enterprises and soil types.
Mitigating agricultural emissions is challenging and will require a sustained research effort. Ireland’s Agricultural Research Programme recognises that there is an urgent need to develop and test new and existing abatement technologies to directly reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and/or increased carbon sequestration on farms to meet the needs of climate neutrality by 2050.
DAFM is supporting a number of research projects and initiatives to develop the necessary technologies and knowhow to facilitate the move to a more sustainable agricultural sector.
DAFM has provided funding of €8m to 12 Methane related research projects over the last 5 years. “GREENBREED” is a DAFM funded research project investigating sustainable ruminant breeding programs for a low environmental footprint.
The objective of GREENBREED is to develop, validate and deploy the necessary tools and optimal strategies to achieve sustainable and quantifiable genetic gain in environmental and economic efficiency in dairy, beef and sheep.
Teagasc is carrying out research on the use of feed additives within Ireland through a number of projects. Products are being tested in relation to their effects on both emissions and animal performance over prolonged periods of time. The “METH-ABATE” project (funded by DAFM) is looking at the development and validation of novel technologies to reduce methane emissions from pasture based Irish agricultural systems.
This includes evaluating several feed additives to mitigate Methane emissions while simultaneously monitoring animal productivity.
