Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are considering this matter. We had a willow project, but it did not attract much interest. We had a sum total of four applicants. It was different to the conventional forestry programme in the sense that we did not pay a premium, but an establishment grant, because the harvesting period was much shorter.

I appreciate the Deputy's points about the benefit to municipal heating systems and so forth. That said, it is one thing to grow willow, but it is another to have somewhere to send the product. We need a full roadmap, not just for the product's growth, but for an outlet once it has been harvested.

Before we put our toes back in the water, we are anxious to ensure the scheme works. It might be seen as a more appropriate forestry option in some of the communities to which Deputy Martin Kenny referred because there is a much shorter rotation. We are considering the matter. Our initial foray was not successful, with a total of four applicants under the scheme.