The European Union’s (EU) climate and energy package requires all EU countries to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20% by 2020. Based on current trends, Ireland is on track to miss this target with a projected reduction of only 5% to 6%. The agriculture sector has consistently been the single largest contributor to Irish GHG emissions, representing 33% of all emissions in 2017. Small-scale anaerobic digestion (SSAD) holds promise as an attractive technology for the treatment of livestock manure and the organic fraction of municipal wastes, especially in low population communities or standalone waste treatment facilities. This study assesses the viability of SSAD in Ireland, by modelling the technical, economic, and environmental considerations of operating such plants on commercial Irish dairy farms. The study examines the integration of SSAD on dairy farms with various herd sizes ranging from 50 to 250 dairy cows, with co-digestion afforded by grass grown on available land. Results demonstrate feedstock quantities available on-farm to be sufficient to meet the farm’s energy needs with surplus energy exported, representing between 73% and 79% of the total energy generated. All scenarios investigated demonstrate a net CO₂ reduction ranging between 2059–173,237 kg CO₂-eq. yr⁻¹. The study found SSAD systems to be profitable within the plant’s lifespan on farms with dairy herds sizes of >100 cows (with payback periods of 8–13 years). The simulated introduction of capital subvention grants similar to other EU countries was seen to significantly lower the plant payback periods. The insights generated from this study show SSAD to be an economically sustainable method for the mitigation of GHG emissions in the Irish agriculture sector.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been recognised as an effective means of simultaneously producing energy while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite having a large agriculture sector, Ireland has experienced little uptake of the technology, ranking 20th within the EU-28. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the general opinions, willingness to adopt, and perceived obstacles of potential adopters of the technology. As likely primary users of this technology, a survey of Irish cattle farmers was conducted to assess the potential of on-farm AD for energy production in Ireland. The study seeks to understand farmers’ motivations, perceived barriers, and preferred business model. The study found that approximately 41% of the 91 respondents were interested in installing AD on their farming enterprise within the next five years. These Likely Adopters tended to have a higher level of education attainment, and together, currently hold 4379 cattle, potentially providing 37,122 t year⁻¹ of wastes as feedstock, resulting in a potential CO₂ reduction of 800.65 t CO₂-eq. year⁻¹. Moreover, the results indicated that the primary consideration preventing the implementation of AD is a lack of information regarding the technology and high investment costs. Of the Likely Adopters and Possible Adopters, a self-owned and operated plant was the preferred ownership structure, while 58% expressed an interest in joining a co-operative scheme. The findings generated provide valuable insights into the willingness of farmers to implement AD and guidance for its potential widespread adoption.

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) has become essential to reduce the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as it prevents the direct contact of body fluid aerosols expelled from carriers. However, many countries have reported critical supply shortages due to the spike in demand during the outbreak in 2020. One potential solution to ease pressure on conventional supply chains is the local fabrication of PPE, particularly face shields, due to their simplistic design. The purpose of this paper is to provide a research protocol and cost implications for the rapid development and manufacturing of face shields by individuals or companies with minimal equipment and materials. This article describes a best practice case study in which the establishment of a local manufacturing hub resulted in the swift production of 12,000 face shields over a seven-week period to meet PPE shortages in the North-West region of Ireland. Protocols and processes for the design, materials sourcing, prototyping, manufacturing, and distribution of face shields are described. Three types of face shields were designed and manufactured, including Flat, Laser-cut, and 3D-printed models. Of the models tested, the Flat model proved the most cost-effective (€0.51/unit), while the Laser-cut model was the most productive (245 units/day). The insights obtained from this study demonstrate the capacity for local voluntary workforces to be quickly mobilised in response to a healthcare emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agricultural sector is responsible for a significant proportion of global anthropogenic methane (CH₄) emissions, with enteric CH₄ produced from ruminant livestock representing approximately 28% of the total. The development of effective mitigation strategies necessitates the accurate and actionable monitoring of CH₄ emissions. However, a considerable research gap remains concerning real-time monitoring techniques capable of supporting on-farm enteric CH₄ mitigation strategies. To bridge this research gap, this study explores the current status of real-time enteric CH₄ emission monitoring techniques and technologies for ruminants. The study achieves this by reviewing key biomarkers and proxies for ruminant emissions, examining established animal-based measurement techniques, exploring emerging technologies, and critically assessing technological limitations and opportunities. By shedding light on this research area, this study aims to assist stakeholders in developing a viable pathway for on-farm emission monitoring, with the hope of facilitating a meaningful reduction in GHG emissions from the livestock sector.