Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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236. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the future economic benefit to farmers, landowners and the local community in County Leitrim after the forestry premiums on the 28,000 hectares of forest plantations in the county stop and the land is clear felled and replanted; if the next generation of forest owners will have to wait 30 years for a return on their investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6253/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The annual premium payment for most forest owners in County Leitrim ends after 20 years at which point forest thinnings should begin to generate a financial return.   The sale of timber at the clearfell stage in particular is significant for most forest owners. The decision on when to clearfell is an important one, the right decision will  maximise potential returns to the owner.

The Department have recently developed an online Felling Decision Tool, which aims to provide owners with information on estimated timber revenues and forest characteristics (wood volumes per hectare, tree top height, and mean tree size in cubic metres) at different stages in the forest cycle. This tool may be used to assist in deciding when to clearfell, by providing financial information on the implication of felling earlier or later than when the financial returns are normally at their highest. This may enable landowners to get a better return from their investment in forestry, as well as providing the revenue needed to cover reforestation costs to continue the forest cycle.

The All Ireland Forecast shows that there is the potential to increase the private harvest by over 2.5 million cubic metres by the end of the next decade. Based on this forecast, the value of timber harvested in 2017 by private forest owners in County Leitrim can be estimated at €1.2 million. However, it is the continuous cycle of activity that takes place within the entire forest estate that delivers benefits for the wider economy. These activities begin in the forest nursery where the trees are grown, forests are then established which requires machines to prepare the site and people to plant and care for the trees. Forest roads are needed prior to first thinning, which could be followed by up to three further thinnings before the final clearfell. Haulage companies are then hired to transport the logs to processors. Once the trees are felled the forest is replanted and the cycle restarts from the beginning.

The network of companies established to service the forest industry within Leitrim and throughout the country is only possible because the national forest estate has achieved a scale that can support these businesses. While it is the case that forest owners do not receive a forest premium on the second and subsequent rotations, forests will start to generate an income at first thinning. However, when we look beyond the individual forests and look at the wide range of activities that take place throughout the 28,000 hectares of forestry in County Leitrim the wider benefits become apparent.