Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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325. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the fact that the Irish Farmers Association strongly opposes the function conferred on him to compulsory purchase land suitable for afforestation or for any other forestry-related activities, if section 6(e) will be removed from the Forestry Bill 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43176/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Section 6(e) of the Forestry Bill 2013 does not confer on the Minister the power to compulsorily purchase land. It is merely a restatement of a current provision under Section 9 of the Forestry Act 1946 which empowers the Minister to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire land (e.g. by land swap).