Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent to which in the course of the forestry planting programme an effort is being made to ensure the planting of tree species that are most likely to be efficient in the context of carbon sequestration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30444/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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All tree species grant-aided by my Department under the forestry grant schemes achieve high levels of carbon-sequestration. The potential of different tree species to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere depends mainly on their rate of growth. Some conifer species grow rapidly and will begin to sequester considerable amounts of carbon early in their life. Other species, including some broadleaves, grow more slowly and do not sequester the same level of carbon until later in their life. Generally, as trees reach maturity, there is little difference in the total amount of carbon dioxide sequestered, when all species are compared.