Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 583: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the initiatives he is taking to ensure that native Irish species of flowers, trees and so on are preserved, cultivated and available for sale similar to the English seed savers scheme, and without undue bureaucracy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29087/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has taken a number of important initiatives in recent years to promote the conservation and sustainable use of plant and animal genetic resources, as follows: DAFF and Teagasc maintain substantial collections of native potato varieties and cereals, and seed of these are made available to growers and interested parties on request. DAFF has operated an annual grant scheme since 1996 to finance conservation projects aimed at locating, conserving and promoting the use of Irish based genetic resources. The Irish Seed Savers Association based in Scariff, Co. Clare have been one of the benefactors of this funding and are very active in conserving promoting and bulking up, for sale to the public, many old varieties of apples and vegetables. This funding has also been used to conserve native species of Elm and Oak and establish collections in public arboretae and re-introduce them in multi-species plantations.

The Native Woodland Scheme operated by DAFF aims to provide landowners with the resources needed to enable them to protect and enhance existing native woodlands and to develop new native woodlands. Under the Department's REPS scheme farmers are encouraged to promote native species in the establishment of high nature-value woodlands. General obligations under the Single Farm Payment Scheme, the Nitrates Directive and Commonage Framework Plans, operated by my Department also benefit biodiversity by protecting species and habitats found on agricultural land.