Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

To clarify again, the total area involved is close to 570 hectares or 1,420 acres of woodland. A total of 1.2 million trees were planted in the name of 1.2 million households nationwide, each of which received a certificate identifying the location of its tree. It is difficult even to count the trees in the Phoenix Park and consequently the Department has not sent out staff to count the trees in question. The committee's role is to check that the woodlands will be there for the people in future. Any trees that die or are thinned will be replaced by younger trees. However the key point to be established, which I understand the audit to have confirmed, is the presence of excellent healthy native woodlands at each of the locations.

As for the Deputy's final question on the trees' lifespan, the lifespan for the species planted is between 100 and 250 years. Obviously it depends on whether a tree is an oak, rowan, yew or whatever. In such woodlands, natural regeneration takes place. The acorns will fall and grow into more trees continually. The point is that these fabulous woodlands will be there for generations to come and most importantly, there will never be any clear-felling in these woodlands.

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