Mr. Barry Delany:

I thank the Senator. The Department has already approved more than €1 million worth of promotional programmes. They are forestry companies and other individuals who will promote the forest programme. Some of it has started already and we will see those coming through. A lot of those are local and regional events. From the Department's point of view we will work with Teagasc on national events. We had a very strong presence at the ploughing match last year and will do the same this year. Approximately two weeks ago, every Irish Farmers' Journal put out contained our farm forestry booklet outlining the figures and showing that forestry is an attractive option to consider, particularly when looking at the figures and stacking that up with the Teagasc farm forestry income survey in terms of where that was pitched.

The Department hopes to work closely with the IFA and Forest Industries Ireland to stand shoulder to shoulder in fields with farmers explaining to them what is possible. It is that aspect of farmers telling farmers that it has worked and we find when the Irish Forest Owners, IFO, and the Irish Timber Growers Association, ITGA - the farming organisations who have planted forest - speak to their neighbours, they are the ones who will plant as opposed to the Department trying to tell them. The Department is trying to facilitate that local engagement.

In addition to that there will be a national campaign. We had the advertising campaigns on the radio but will do a much more targeted campaign around the native tree area scheme, the forest type 1 - the native species, and forest type 12 - the commercial plantation. Mr. Gleeson, the Secretary General, has shown me the figures and it is an attractive option for a mid-sized farmer to help complement income.