Written answers

Wednesday, 28 April 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Forestry Sector

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1137. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No.1999 of 24 March 2021, if he will provide additional information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21406/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The timber revenue income per hectare from growing trees is related largely to the productivity of the lands planted. Enclosed land is, in general, more fertile and less exposed than unenclosed land and trees planted on enclosed land generally perform much better than trees planted on soil types associated with unenclosed land. This position is supported by many publications including ‘Sitka spruce in Ireland, Joyce, P.M. and OCarroll, N. 2002, and by ‘The distribution and productivity of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) in Ireland in relation to site, soil and climatic factors’. Farrelly N. et al 2009. and the Code of Best Forest Practice - Ireland (2000).

Phosphorus release from forest harvesting on an upland blanket peat catchment by Rodgers et al in 2010 established that peat soils do not buffer phosphate in the same way mineral soils do and that there will be a release of phosphate into receiving waters post-harvesting, even with the installation of protective setbacks along watercourses.

In 2016, COFORD published a report ‘Land Availability for Afforestation’. The report did not recommend a return to unrestricted planting of unenclosed land and removing the 20% rule. Subsequent to the report being published greater clarity was given around land classification and some better unenclosed lands that were previously classified as Grant Premium Category 1 (the old unenclosed land category) were elevated to a higher category ‘Land types for afforestation (DAFM 2017).

Under Project Woodland, the issue around the planting of unenclosed land will be examined.

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