Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 436: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that the restrictions in place at present with regard to planting forests are changed in order to enable more farmers to plant land to ensure their future viability and sustainability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12347/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The afforestation schemes provide attractive grants and premiums to incentivise the planting of agricultural land by farmers and other landowners, to support the continued development of a viable and sustainable national forest resource.

All applications submitted to my Department for approval to undertake afforestation are examined regarding the suitability of the site from a silvicultural, productivity and environmental perspective. This includes an evaluation of site productivity issues such as soil type, fertility, exposure and access, and an assessment of any potential environmental impact of the project on water quality, nature conservation, archaeology and landscape.

Certain sites are less suited for forestry. Poorer quality site types are predominantly peat and are often characterised by poor fertility, high elevation and constrained by poor access, wind stability issues, high fire risk, etc. These poor site types are also very sensitive from an environmental perspective and have limited timber productivity. In the current economic climate, my Department is not prioritising the use of limited Exchequer funds to support the establishment of new forests on such sites, on silvicultural, site productivity and environmental grounds.

My Department has a legal responsibility to ensure that every hectare approved for afforestation complies with requirements set out under various environmental European Directives such as the Birds and Habitats Directives, the EIA Directive and the Water Framework Directive, and with corresponding national legislation. This will ensure that the ongoing expansion of the national forest resource is compatible with the protection of Ireland's environment. My Department is in regular communications with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and with other bodies, to ensure an ongoing streamlining of procedures to ensure the afforestation programme is compliant with the legislation outlined above. Changes to the restrictions in place to enable more farmers to plant are continually being looked at by my Department within this context.