Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans for the planting of trees with a high carbon trapping potential with a view to enhancing Ireland's compliance with Kyoto; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9732/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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All new forests established under grant aid by my Department since 1990 qualify as areas that will contribute to Ireland meeting its emission reduction targets under the Kyoto protocol. Current indications are that forests planted since 1990 will absorb, on average, over 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year over the period 2008-2012. Almost all of this contribution will come from trees that are already in the ground, established following Government grant aid.

Regarding the potential of different tree species to sequester or trap carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this depends mainly on their rate of growth. Some conifer species, for example, rapidly establish and over the first ten years will begin to sequester considerable amounts of carbon. Others, including some broadleaves, are slower to establish and do not make the same positive contribution over the first ten years or so. After that time, however, they will also begin to trap similar amounts of carbon dioxide and over a period of several decades, as crops reach maturity, there is little difference in the total amounts of carbon dioxide sequestered, when all species are compared. All these amounts of verified carbon dioxide sequestration can be used, under the current international agreements, to offset emissions of greenhouse gases, and contribute to compliance with the Kyoto Protocol to UN Convention on Climate Change.

Government policy is to increase forest cover for economic, environmental and social reasons. The contribution to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration is one aspect that is balanced with the need to provide other environmental services, as well as wood raw material for economic development. At present, we have put together the most attractive package ever in terms of planting incentives, including 100% planting grants and generous annual tax-free premiums, as well as the possibility for farmers to stack entitlements and plant up to 50% of their land while still drawing the full single farm payment. I would urge all landowners to strongly consider the package that has been assembled and to plant land now.