A local TD has called for the "urgent inclusion" of hedgerows and scrubland in the inventory of forest cover for carbon sequestration purposes.
Brendan Smith says "all small-scale planting and small blocks of scrub should be measured and included".
He adds that this would aid the country in its credit carbon count.
In response to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Smith, the Agriculture Minister said Teagasc is undertaking a research project on "Farm Hedgerows and Non-forest Woodland Carbon".
The project aims to "advance the understanding of the contribution of hedgerows and non-forest woodland to carbon stocks in agricultural landscapes".
While it's hoped the final results will provide the necessary data required for the inclusion of hedgerows in national inventory calculations, Deputy Smith says "this should have been undertaken years ago":
