Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when her attention was drawn to the halving of the forestry planting target of 20,000 hectares a year which was recently announced in the Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Rural Development Plan submitted to the European Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39903/06]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans in view of the fact that Ireland's 1996's Strategic Plan for the Forestry Sector here made the case for further investment in the forestry sector primarily on the basis of the ideal or target size for the industry critical mass which can not be achieved under the terms of the Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Rural Development Plan recently submitted to the European Commission, to review forestry policy here; and if plans involve public participation and expert independent advice from outside Ireland. [39904/06]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the way, in view of the cuts announced in the planting target for the forestry sector in the Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Rural Development Plan, she proposes to justify the continued heavy subsidisation of the current planting of fast growing conifers of almost €1 billion when the recent review by Bacon and Deloitte confirmed to him that the industry must obtain critical mass and that the reality is that this level must be achieved in the shortest timescale possible, and not later than that outlined in the strategic plan. [39905/06]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will seek to include the Forestry Act 1989, which sets the primary objective of Coillte Teo to operate on a commercial basis, in the current review of forestry legislation in view of the fact that the Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Rural Development Plan 2007 to 2013 has halved the forestry planting targets and made the achievement of the commercial target size for the industry impossible. [39906/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 to 252, inclusive, together.

The Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Rural Development Plan does not announce a halving of the forestry planting target. On the contrary, sufficient funds have been provided in the Rural Development Plan to encourage a renewed planting effort, intended in the first instance to restore annual afforestation rates to at least 10,000 hectares. We should not underestimate the challenge which lies before us in this regard and the new Forestry Programme takes this into account, incorporating several new and innovative measures to attract farmers into forestry. These are demand-led schemes and my intention is to stimulate that demand.

As regards forestry policy, this was comprehensively reviewed by Peter Bacon & Associates in September 2004. The report reaffirmed a planting rate of 20,000 hectares per annum as appropriate but significantly noted that lower levels of planting could still provide a viable basis for support when non-timber benefits are maximised. A high-level Group, which includes representatives from the Department of Finance as well as my own Department, have been examining forestry policy in the light of the Bacon Report and wider EU considerations and I expect its report very shortly.

In terms of critical mass, I fully agree with the Deputy on the importance of achieving an appropriate level of forest cover. This is precisely why I am making some €1 billion available over the course of the Programme to encourage the planting of trees.

Finally, on the question of the review of forestry legislation, the main focus here is on the operational provisions of the various Forestry Acts, principally the 1946 Act as amended. The 1988 Act is not excluded insofar as it deals with operational matters, such as the level of penalties, but the basis for establishing Coillte Teo. is not currently under review. Coillte continues to operate on a commercial basis and is a profitable company with a clear strategy for the future.