Ollie Wilkinson (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the contribution forestry makes to the environment here. [24475/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Forestry makes a significant contribution to the Irish environment. It plays a key role in delivering on targets under both the National Climate Change Strategy and the National Biodiversity Plan.

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. 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.

Well-planned forestry can contribute positively to biodiversity. Existing guidelines describe practical measures to achieve biodiversity objectives. These include the need to identify existing habitats and fauna of particular interest; the importance of species selection; and the incorporation of open area and retained habitat in the forest. The pattern of Irish forestry is changing to one of smaller forests with greater species diversity, embedded in a mixed landscape of cropland, pasture, wetland and upland. This is yielding a mosaic of different habitat types. Taking account of recent research on biodiversity, the new Rural Development Plan will develop this trend and will address ways to support forestry with enhanced environmental objectives.

We have seen substantially increased broadleaf planting over the period of the current Rural Development Programme, and I am pleased to say that the target in this regard which was set at the start of the Programme has been achieved, with broadleaves now representing 30% of all new planting. This has ensured a more balanced approach to the species mix in Irish forests.

Government policy is to increase forest cover for economic, environmental and social reasons. The contribution to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration and to biodiversity are aspects that are balanced with the need to provide other environmental services, as well as wood raw material for economic development