Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 481: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the measures taken since December 2008 to develop a sustainable forestry sector as outlined in the Building Ireland's Smart Economy report. [43131/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The objectives for forestry set out in the Report are the development of a sustainable sector to support rural employment, provide an indigenous renewable energy resource and help mitigate climate change. To achieve this my Department promotes the planting of new forests through a range of attractive support measures - the Afforestation Grant Scheme, the Forest Environment Protection Scheme and the Native Woodland Scheme. These schemes provide 100% establishment grants and annual premiums for up to 20 years.

In addition, my Department also provides supports towards the provision of forest infrastructure such as harvesting and management roads, along with grants to encourage forest owners to actively manage their forests and improve the quality of the final crop. Funding has also been provided for enterprises involved in the production and supply of wood fuels to the commercial and domestic heat sectors. My Department is committed to promoting and supporting a robust afforestation programme in order to achieve the objectives of the Report.