Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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As I said in the Dáil earlier, I agree fully with what the Minister is trying to do here. An increase in small acreages of trees would be of great benefit. It would allow a farmer to plant a corner or along a riverbank, as he said, without the necessity of a licence. It is also imperative that the programme for Government target for afforestation, which is to ensure we have a vibrant forestry sector going forward, is kept separate and divorced from this measure. We have a target of 8,000 ha that we need to afforest every year. We must keep those two targets separate. They can be mutually beneficial as we address the challenges of climate change. However, it is imperative that the 8,000 ha target is what we judge our afforestation targets on. I know the Minister agrees.