Ms Bernie Gray:

The target for afforestation is a national target and Coillte's role in it is in delivering 20% of that target. Some 80% of the national target for afforestation has to be met elsewhere and farmers will be one of the major groups who will support the delivery of that together with private capital. To put it all in context, we are looking at Coillte's role in fulfilling 20% of the national target, as wells as a fund like Gresham House. In this case, it is 12,000 ha or less than 1% of the overall piece. We have already outlined that there are a number of options we are looking at in terms of our 20% target. We are looking at the use of public lands, at the Nature Trust we have already established, and, ideally, at getting back into direct afforestation ourselves if the state aid issue is resolved.

The scale of the challenge is huge. The current level of afforestation nationally is 2,000 ha when it needs to be 8,000 ha to deliver the target for Ireland. What we are doing is part of the solution but it is only part of it. There are many other stakeholders who have play a key role in it.