Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 685: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of hectares of land planted in each of the years from 1995 to 2006; the amount that will be planted in 2007; if she is satisfied that there is enough effort being made to maintain existing plantations and to provide proper worthwhile markets for the timber; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9413/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The requested planting rates are detailed in the table.

At this stage of the year it is difficult to predict the final planting rate for 2007 but provision has been made in my Department's Estimates for 10,000 hectares of new planting. An enhanced package is available this year, including increased grants and premiums, and a new Forest Environment Protection Scheme (FEPS) which provides an added incentive to REPS farmers to plant part of their land.

It is important that existing plantations be maintained if the optimum return is to be achieved. There are a number of controls in place to ensure that, where a plantation has been established with the help of grant-aid from my Department, it is properly maintained in subsequent years. Various incentives are also available to encourage proper management of the woodland resource. Some of the key controls and incentives are as follows:

25% of the establishment grant is only paid 4 years after the initial planting and when my Department is satisfied that the plantation has been successfully established.

Other inspections at later dates for premium purposes provide further information on the status of plantations.

10 years after planting a management plan is required by my Department which adds to the information on the status of the plantations and provides a secure basis for future maintenance.

My Department also operates schemes aimed at further developing the woodland resource e.g. pruning and shaping; forest road grants etc, and has encouraged initiatives from the sector in this area, such as the development of a thinning protocol for private plantations, which was published last year.

Teagasc and COFORD run courses and seminars in this area every year, dealing with particular aspects of forest management and promoting best practice.

In relation to markets, timber prices are currently good, particularly for large saw log. Prices for small material have not increased pro rata but I would expect them to increase in line with the expected increase in demand for bio fuels.