Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her Department has responsibility for implementation of EEC Council Regulation No. 2080/92; if a national programme instituting a community aid scheme for forestry measures in agriculture has been devised; if such a programme is being implemented; the manner of its implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7802/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department had overall responsibility for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2080/92. This Regulation was repealed by Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 on support for rural development, including forestry measures.

The latest Rural Development Regulation, No. 1698/2005 came into force on 1st January 2007. The Rural Development Programme (RDP) for 2007 to 2013 was submitted to the European Commission for approval in December 2006, following extensive public consultation. It includes a range of support measures for the agricultural and forestry sectors, some of which are co-financed with community aid while others are exclusively nationally funded. The grant aid programme for forestry is now higher than ever before with grant-aid available for the first afforestation of agricultural land, the construction of forest roads and under a new Forest Environment Protection Scheme.