Written answers
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Department of Agriculture and Food
Afforestation Programme
6:00 am
Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the percentage of the country covered by forestry; the targets for further forestry development; and the incentives available for same. [3667/10]
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The percentage of land area currently under forestry is approximately 10.7%.
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 allocation for forestry in the 2010 Budget will facilitate a higher level of planting, in the region of 7,000 hectares, in 2010, and is evidence of the Government's continued commitment to forestry.
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