Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 November 2021
398. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if hedgerows, all small-scale planting and all small blocks of scrub are measured in the inventory of forest cover; if so, the way they are measured; the percentage of the State that is occupied by such forest cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55384/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Environmental Protection Agency has overall responsibility for the national greenhouse gas inventory in Ireland’s national system. Each year, a National Inventory Report is prepared in compliance with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting guidelines, that outlines the level of emissions and the methods used to derive these estimates.
Forest areas that are 0.1 ha in size or more are included in the inventory report, which includes small blocks of scrub that are comprised of tree species. The national forest estate is still expanding and has now reached 11% of the total land area, with a wide variety of forest types present. Ireland’s forests are an important store of carbon, estimated stocks at over 312 million tonnes. In our recent greenhouse gas reporting to the UNFCCC, Ireland reported a removal by forests of circa 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere in 2019, which includes the carbon stored in harvested wood products.
My Department recognises the significant role that our hedgerows provide to the natural landscape of our countryside. Not only do our hedgerows contribute to the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere but they are also vital as a habitat for wildlife, a resource for biodiversity and a unique heritage feature that must be managed and protected. Hedgerows are not considered forest and they are not currently included as part of the land use sector for national greenhouse gas reporting purposes.
To address the lack of data on sequestration of carbon by hedgerows, Teagasc are undertaking a research project called “Farm-Carbon – Farm Hedgerows and Non-forest Woodland Carbon”. The overall objective of this project is to “advance the understanding of the contribution of hedgerows and non-forest woodland to carbon stocks in agricultural landscapes, and to identify approaches to maintain and enhance this contribution”. I am confident that the final results will provide the necessary data required for the inclusion of hedgerows in the national inventory calculations.
