Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 166: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he will put in place to ensure funding for the establishment of agroforestry systems, which have the potential to boost the economy and create hundreds of jobs and training opportunities as well as being good for the environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7184/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Agroforestry affords farmers considerable scope to integrate the growing of trees, for commercial, amenity and/or environmental reasons, with crop or livestock production on the same unit of land.

The Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 identified agroforestry as providing considerable potential on many Irish farms to plant trees in ways which contribute actively to a better environment, and which complement existing farming practice .

However, agroforestry is not widely practised in Ireland and there has been little demand for the introduction of an "agroforestry scheme". This may be due, at least in part, to the fact that agroforestry projects are not eligible to forest premiums under the current Rural Development Regulation (Council Regulation 1698/2005).

While there appears to be an increasing interest in agroforestry among some farmers, there are no immediate plans to introduce a specific agroforestry scheme at this time. However, agroforestry is one of a number of forestry measures that my Department is currently examining in the context of the recent draft EU proposal for a Regulation to support rural development under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) 2014 to 2020. Discussions on the draft Regulation are continuing at EU level.