Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett):

I do not have the figures on that, but it is a good point. We are in the process of a land use review. Maybe part of that might identify some of these inaccessible corners. There are plenty of them. There is a good example from County Clare, where such an area is called the hare's corner. They have engaged with farmers. It can be about putting in a pond or planting trees in more inaccessible areas. This brings biodiversity onto the farm without taking much from productivity.

On the question of fruit trees, orchards are not classified as forestry and neither are Christmas trees. Those plantations do not get categorised like that. In our new agroforestry proposals, which are classified as forestry, farmers can plant up to 15% of fruit or nut trees. That is an exciting proposition. We can review it if we get a good uptake and if we get feedback from farmers on it. I think it is a step in the right direction.

See this speech in context