Mr. Paddy Purser:

I thank Senator Boylan. In relation to the barriers to continuous cover forestry adoption in Ireland, the primary barrier is a cultural one. For most of the foresters who have trained in Ireland and the institutions which promote forestry in Ireland, this is a new practice. We are all learning. Even those of us in ProSilva Ireland who have been at this for 20 years are still learning how to do this and introduce CCF in an economically sustainable way for forest owners. This involves a major training requirement and cultural shift which is being well supported by the forest service in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It has a CCF grant scheme, which is being well received. There are good examples of new entrants being mentored into the practice.

As I said in my introductory statement, the biggest constraint to the practice of CCF in Ireland is the unsustainable deer populations that we have. CCF practice and any kind of diversification of our forestry sector with native species or diverse conifer species require them to get through an army of invasive deer which are rampant in our countryside. This is hugely expensive to the Department because it pays grants to help us with this. For me as a practitioner, the deer issue is the number one issue.

On the Senator's question on the national forestry inventory, I will have to check the position and revert to her in writing.