Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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We have seen the Gresham House set-up and, no more than the IFA, we do not agree with it. We have seen the different interests, including not-for-profit organisations, trying to buy land. I would be out talking to farmers a fair bit. If farmers with less than 50 acres were asked to plant 1 acre and to look after it well, those with 50 to 100 acres were asked to plant 2 acres and so on, we would get to 240,000 or 250,000 acres around the country. I am not saying that we have to put it all together. Farmers could have a shelter belt or a ditch or whatever. Do the witnesses think it is achievable to reach our targets and that farmers would buy in to that?