Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmers who planted land and are at the end of their 20 years for payment and, subsequent to that allows the forestry to mature and then sell off the timber: if they are obliged to re-plant all of that land again; if they do so are they entitled to start again and re-apply for funding for the re-plantation; if they once again qualify for a new forestry scheme for the ground that is planted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9494/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In order to preserve the forest estate and to protect the considerable State investment in forestry to date, it is the policy of this Department that all grant-aided plantations must be replanted after clear-fell has taken place. On this basis only General Felling Licences are issued for normal commercial forestry operations and, under the Forestry Act, 1946, such licences carry a compulsory replanting condition.

My Department does not operate any reforestation schemes. Therefore, replanting is not grant-aided.