Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason her Department has ceased the native woodlands scheme; if she will reopen the native woodlands scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3634/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to assure the Deputy of my continued support for the Native Woodland Scheme. This is an extremely important scheme and I would like to see it enhanced and developed further so that the significant benefits which it brings, particularly in terms of biodiversity, can be maximized.

The scheme was introduced in 2001 under the terms of the last Rural Development Programme and aimed at protecting and expanding Ireland's native woodland resource and associated biodiversity, through the use of appropriate 'close to nature' silviculture. The scheme provided financial support for landowners to protect and enhance existing native woodlands, and to establish new native woodlands.

The last Rural Development Programme closed on 31 December 2006. A new Rural Development Plan, covering the period 2007-2013, has been submitted to Brussels and approval is awaited. Provision has been made in the new Programme to continue the work of the Native Woodland Scheme.

In the meantime, I am revamping the Native Woodland Scheme and I am considering a number of suggestions to ensure that the scheme remains very attractive. It is my intention to re-establish the Native Woodland Scheme Development Group to guide this process. There will also be detailed consultations with all the relevant stakeholders.

Any approvals which issued prior to 31 December 2006 can be completed in the normal way. Applications in respect of which it was not possible to issue a decision prior to 31 December 2006 continue to be processed by the Forest Service with a view to issuing approvals under the new scheme when agreed, subject of course to the relevant conditions of the new scheme.