Mr. Bill Callanan:

The first question was about soil sampling. Approximately 120,000 soil samples are taken annually. There are farmers with a derogation and farmers without a derogation, who are more intensive, going above 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare, who are required to take soil samples every four years. They are required to have a nutrient management plan. An element of nutrient management planning is having the soil sampling to accompany that. I would describe it as a push factor. The Minister has introduced a new scheme, the soil sampling scheme, which we anticipate will cover 100,000 samples. It will not provide another 100,000 samples but it covers 100,000. We want to have a spread across all types of farming and to achieve a regional balance. Ensuring that is part of it is built into the scheme.

We certainly endorse encouraging farmers to plant hedges. Under GLAS, approximately 7,500 farmers planted about 1,300 km. We see the need to continue to incentivise the planting of hedges.

There is a prescription under the GLAS scheme in terms of looking at what is necessary for it to be a successful hedge. The natural objective should be to maximise as much native species penetration in terms of hedgerow development.

I am conscious that our forestry colleagues have appeared before the committee regarding afforestation so all I would do is reiterate the Department's position, which is threefold in terms of looking at forestry. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, and her colleagues would be able to answer this better and I would leave it to them. If we look at Project Woodland, it has three key elements. One is the integration of forestry and agri-environment. The second involves looking again at the entire forestry programme. This is to kick off in the new year. The third involves looking at the regulatory requirements associated with small-scale afforestation. They are the three key elements.

I would really leave it to the Minister of State and the forestry side in terms of looking at encouraging farmers to increase. What we are clear as part of the commitment under the climate action plan and what falls to us is the emission reduction requirements under land use, land-use change and management. It effectively requires us to focus on issues like peatland management, which we know is a source, increasing the afforestation rate in line with the targets set, which is Government policy, and management of the opportunities associated with cover crops, straw incorporation and management of that 450,000 ha of dry mineral soils, which we know can maximise or increase the amount of carbon removal. That is within our remit rather than the individual aspect of forestry.