Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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164. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the figures in a recently published NFI document which indicate that conifers comprise 74.2% of all forestry here and sitka spruce 52% of all species, and in view of the fact that the Irish climate is favourable for the spread of blight-type organisms and the spread of phytophthora ramorum, which is currently decimating Japanese larch, his plans to introduce a programme of planting a wide variety of native trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20450/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Work on the new forestry programme for the period 2014 – 2020 is currently under way. An outline of proposed schemes to be included in this programme was circulated to stakeholders in March 2014 and was followed up by a consultation event in April. Included in the outline document are two schemes related to native woodlands, the native woodlands establishment scheme and the native woodlands conservation scheme. These schemes were also a feature of the previous forestry programme. The extent of planting native woodlands and the planting programme as a whole has not been decided as yet. Any decisions taken regarding planting levels and the programme as a whole will need to take budgetary constraints into account.