Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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722. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 1 October 2015, the details of increases in investment by his Department in forestry programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19729/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Total investment in forestry in the years 2007 to 2015 inclusive was approximately €1,021million. This includes expenditure on grants and premiums for the establishment of new forests and other support measures such as forest roads and woodland improvement. The reference period covers the Forestry Development Programme 2007 – 2014 and the current forestry programme 2015 to 2020. Investment in forestry has decreased during this period which is mainly due to reduced premium payments year on year as forest owners received the last of their 20 year annual premiums.  Afforestation levels have also remained relatively steady over the past number of years reflecting the demand driven nature of the scheme. The current forestry programme, which will run to 2020 includes €482 million of new forestry investment. The programme aims to plant 44,000 hectares of new forests and build almost 700km of new forest roads. This will address the dual aims of the Department’s policy on forestry development which is to increase forest cover and provide for greater mobilisation of timber to market, both objectives to be undertaken in a manner consistent with the principles of sustainable forest management. The budget provision for forestry development for 2016 is €114m which represents an increase of €3m over 2015.