Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak about this issue. There are several issues regarding forestry, afforestation and how they are approached. Afforestation is a significant challenge for many communities. If we accept that trees and the entire green agenda are part of how we contribute to proper biodiversity, we must recognise that planting in some parts of the country but not others, with significant urban sprawl in certain areas, will not lead to balanced development. We need a proper debate on balanced development.

On the motion, as a result of the designation of the hen harrier and other issues, many tracts of land which farmers are willing to plant with forestry are not being afforested. If the Government is serious about afforestation, it must consider these issues and the reports from the National Parks and Wildlife Service which have not been addressed. Such issues should be brought to the fore.

The line is that farmers should be encouraged to plant. Many farmers would consider planting small portions of their land for various reasons. The Department and Coillte must consider providing financial incentives for farmers to plant smaller portions of their land. Our grandfathers planted shelter beds and scrubland which provided biodiversity. They dealt with these issues in a very serious way. We then moved to blanket plantations of conifers such as Sitka spruce. That ticks a box in other areas, but we must go back to the planting of native trees.

The NeighbourWood scheme is very welcome, but it involves a significant amount of bureaucracy. That matter should be addressed such that even communities with small parcels of community land could utilise it. As the Minister of State, Deputy Doyle, who is present, is aware, there have been many difficulties with land that was afforested and clear felled but on which no premiums had been drawn. It is very difficult to get such land through the system such that the Department approves it under the NeighbourWood scheme. We need to look at streamlining the scheme. We must be vocal in encouraging people to plant a small number of trees. Our grandparents and great-grandparents were very good at planting native trees on their farmyard or beyond. We must go back to such practices because those trees are very valuable and add to communities and the green agenda.

On bureaucracy, several objections lodged with the Department are causing significant problems. A particular individual has lodged a large number of objections to schemes in counties from Donegal to Cork which is causing serious problems for the forestry industry. We must rethink the entire forestry agenda.

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