Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 May 2023
177. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the difficulties that Irish farmers are facing as a result of having to meet climate targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25231/23]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the agriculture sector was assigned a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. It is a challenging and ambitious target but is one that farmers and the industry are committed to achieving. It is also a target that is reflective of the unique position of agriculture in the context of the overall economy.
My Department has several ambitious policies and strategies in place to ensure agriculture plays its role in meeting the national climate targets by 2030 and 2050, while continuing to sustainably produce food and feed.
Delivering the reduction in GHG emissions required to meet the targets for agriculture will require a significant transformation in Ireland’s agriculture and food production system. Ensuring that Irish farmers, foresters, and fisheries are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable throughout the period of transformation and beyond is critical. Supporting farmers in this transformation of the Irish agri-food production system will require significant resources and is of the upmost importance to the government.
Farmers and industry stakeholders are committed to meeting the challenge of improving the environmental sustainability of Irish agriculture and reducing agricultural and land use GHG emissions.
Irish farmers are incredibly committed to ensuring that they farm in a sustainable way. This commitment will contribute to a vibrant rural economy for generations to come. Irish farmers are innovative, resilient, and already committed to working together to find solutions in the face of this enormous challenge.
The significant actions for agriculture in the Climate Action Plan 2023 provide a viable pathway to meet our climate targets. The Government has a number of supports already available that will help assist Irish farmers to meet the outlined targets.
Financial aid has been and will continue to be put in place to support farmers in their transition to adapting more farming practices that will reduce emissions.
There is a five-fold, or 500%, increase in funding for Organic Farming to €256m to triple the area of land farmed organically to 7.5%. Organic farmers are also eligible for support of 60% in the Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS) and had priority access to the 2023 Agri-Climate Rural environmental Scheme (ACRES).
Nitrogen reduction is continually supported through the aid for Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment. Funding for this LESS measure has increased from 40% to 60% in the new TAMS 3 scheme. The TAMS 3 scheme furthermore includes a Solar Capital Investment Scheme which has also seen the grant aid increased for farmers from 40% to 60%, with a €90,000 investment ceiling, assisting farmers to generate renewable energy for use on their farms.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-environmental scheme – ACRES.DAFM provided funding of €3m to a Methane related research project almost five years ago.
I recently announced a world-first scientific breakthrough in animal breeding that can enable the reduction of methane from the Irish cattle herd through animal genetics – we are starting to see results from research funded projects as this breakthrough is a result of funding supplied by my department almost five years ago.Reducing slaughter age of cattle is a key recommendation of the Food Vision Beef and Sheep group I established. To deliver on this measure a Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme was introduced in 2023 with an overall allocation to this scheme of €260 million and is designed specifically to improve the environmental sustainability and genetic merit of the suckler herd.The Climate action plan recognises the positive impact that forests and forest products make in sequestering and storing carbon. Late last year I announced investment by the government of €1.3 billion in Irish forestry. The funding will be for the next National Forestry Programme and represents the largest ever investment by an Irish Government in tree-planting.
Irish farmers are known for being innovative and their capacity to adopt new sustainable practices to benefit their farm and environment. I will continue to support farmers at every step on this journey.
