Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of hectares of forestry planted here for each of the past 15 years; the number of hectares that will be planted in 2010; if he is satisfied that enough is being done to encourage and promote forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46702/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The area planted under the Afforestation Programme for each year from 1994 to 2009 is as follows:

The increased allocation for forestry in the 2010 Budget will facilitate a higher level of planting, in the region of 7,000 hectares, in 2010. 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. The increased budget allocation for forestry in 2010, at a time when many other expenditure programmes are being reduced, is evidence of the Government's continued commitment to forestry.