Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody for their presentations. My first question is to the Department. I know we have an ambitious target of 8,000 ha per year for afforested land but what exactly is the target for the percentage of forestry to be covered and by when? I wish to ask Pro Silva about concerns people might have on planting forestry. We hear that it ties up the land but in what condition will the soil be afterwards? I have been asked if the land would forever be under trees. There was a comment in the presentation about more resilient forests but will Mr. Purser outline a little more the biotic and abiotic risks referred to? There is also the question of training and capacity building in the forestry sector. How many foresters will be required if we want to get where we wish to go?

Another question coming to me from the farming community concerns the impact of increased acidic degrading of pine needles in waterways, so will Coillte address this? This occurs if there are many streams running through forests etc. Is that an issue, as farmers are very concerned about it? On the appropriate use of agricultural land, will Dr. Ní Dhubháin expand a little on her point? Mr. Brian Murphy from Forest Industries Ireland indicated that 20,000 farmer-forest owners have made a decision to plant a portion of their land but what is the average size of the land holding put under forest cover?