Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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39. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase forest cover across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27972/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Planting targets for the next four years are set out under the Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020. The programme which represents almost €0.5 billion in State funding, aims to establish almost 44,000 hectares of new forests during this period. In 2015 and 2016 the total area planted was 12,793 hectares which is slightly higher than the target set. Future planting targets along with the afforestation scheme as a whole are currently being examined as part of the midterm review of the programme. The national target is to increase total forest cover to 18% by 2050.

My Department actively promotes afforestation as a land use that can work in support of the existing agricultural activity. For example it is an option for farmers who wish to diversify their income stream or increase profitability while maintaining their agricultural output.  Forestry does not necessarily mean a reduction in agricultural output nor does it mean converting the entire farm to forestry. Instead where land is underutilised, it signals a more efficient use of land bringing the entire farm closer to its productive potential. Most importantly this approach introduces a stable and additional income into the farm. This new income stream can be used to develop the farm business as part of the overall plan for the farm. It also of course has multiplier effects for the rural economy and currently supports over 12,000 jobs across the sector.

The current forestry programme introduced changes to the afforestation scheme aimed at increasing planting levels. These changes included the creation of a single premium rate for farmers and non farmers to encourage non farmers to plant. New forest schemes such as agroforestry and forestry for fibre were introduced to allow farmers to plant trees while continuing to have animals graze the land that they had planted. Forestry for fibre also allows farmers to plant trees with much shorter rotations than traditional forestry. Both these schemes are being examined as part of the midterm review where options are being considered to improve their performance.