Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. This is my first opportunity to speak on this issue and on an Adjournment debate. The Deputy and I have known each other for quite a while and I am conscious of this issue. I was made well aware of the issue of afforestation in County Leitrim. Perhaps it is one of the consequences of having a policy. No matter how good it is, it always has the potential to upset people.

The Deputy acknowledged the important contribution that forestry makes it to the economy, environment and society. The Government has invested significantly, as have previous Governments, in the development of forestry over recent decades. A vibrant export-orientated forest product sector is one outcome from that investment, as is the contribution forestry makes to climate change mitigation.

The role of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is to assist the development of the forestry sector. The afforestation grant and premium scheme administered by my Department aims to increase the area under forest in Ireland from its current low base of just under 11%. In this context, it should be noted that the EU average is 38%. It is not intended or proposed that any increase in forest cover be undertaken without due regard to other elements within the environment.

The increase in the area under forest will be undertaken in a sustainable manner, contributing to the EU's priority of restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry. For this reason, all applications for approval to afforest land are advertised on the Department's website and are subject to detailed consideration and consultation with a number of notice bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, An Taisce and Inland Fisheries Ireland.

It is useful to consider the context of forest cover and the level of afforestation in Leitrim compared with national figures. Forests account for 10.8% of the land area of the country, with the forest cover in counties varying widely. In terms of forest cover as a proportion of the total county land area, the second national forestry inventory found that County Wicklow, the garden county, had the highest level of forest cover at 17.7%. Leitrim closely followed it at about 16.7%, a figure the Deputy mentioned.

As regards the ownership of lands under forestry in County Leitrim, I checked the figures and understand the bulk of the new forest plantation over the past couple of years has been undertaken by farmers. For example, of the 513 ha of new forest planting for which grants were paid in 2015, 81% was undertaken by farmers. Likewise in 2014, of the 272 ha of new forest in respect of which payments were made, just under 96% was undertaken by farmers.

It is also worth noting - perhaps we should engage in an awareness exercise - that farmers who hold valid herd numbers continue to have an advantage over non-farmers in that they can qualify for basic payment and forestry premium on the same land. They also qualify for areas of natural constraint and green, low-carbon, agri-environment scheme, GLAS, payments, whereas non-farmers cannot do so.

Forestry is a viable land use alternative and farmers have availed of the afforestation scheme in significant numbers in recent years. However, notwithstanding the continued availability of a State-funded afforestation programme, national planting figures have declined in recent years with payments made in 2014 for the new planting of 6,156 ha, compared to a peak of more than 23,000 ha in 1995. The general consensus is that it is necessary to achieve a higher rate of new forest planting to ensure a continuous, secure supply of quality timber from the forest industry. It is, therefore, vital to address the decline in the planting level now for the long-term future of the industry.

The afforestation grant and premium scheme, currently available under the forestry programme 2014 to 2020, offers a single premium rate. The scheme under former programmes offered different rates and for different periods of time depending on whether the applicant was a farmer or non-farmer. That was a change encouraged by the EU in terms of an equitable approach and also a recommendation of the Council for Forest Research and Development, COFORD.

In addition to an increased supply of timber in the long term, the other benefits of increased forest planting - for example, employment creation opportunities at the establishment phase and also those associated with the ongoing management of forests, including thinning and eventual clear-fell - should not be overlooked. It is worth noting that Masonite Ireland, located just outside Carrick-on-Shannon, is one of the largest ratepayers in County Leitrim. It employs a significant number of people, makes a very important contribution to the local economy and its activities are totally based on forestry. While an increase in planting levels is welcome, I am conscious of the concerns of the people of County Leitrim, including farmers. I am prepared to visit at a time that suits and I will consult with all colleagues to organise such a visit. I believe we can devise an approach and work out a solution.

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