Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

SI thank the Deputy. To clarify, the ambition of more than 1,040 licences equates to more than 8,000 ha of afforestation. The concern is that we are issuing afforestation licences and they are not being taken up.

Currently, in excess of 5,000 ha of afforestation licences have been issued but have not been planted. The ambition is there. It falls on us all to make a concerted effort to encourage and support farmers and landowners to plant. There is great pressure now on land use. We read today in the Irish Farmers' Journalabout the pressure from conacre and the leasing element. We must do all we can to encourage our farmers to plant the trees for which they get the licences.

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