Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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774. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his response to the fact that over half of assessments of forested areas in Ireland indicate bad conservation status under the Nature Directives; the steps he is taking to remedy the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39455/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am fully aware of the conservation status of forested areas, and my Department's Forestry Programme contains a number of well-funded provisions aimed at addressing the restoration and expansion of native woodlands in Ireland.

Three forest types that may be selected by interested landowners, under the Afforestation Scheme, relate specifically to the creation of new native woodland on open land, using the types of trees representative of the specific native woodland type that would occur naturally on each site. A further option under the Afforestation Scheme is targeted at the retention of native woodland currently in scrub form.

The Native Woodland Conservation Scheme supports the restoration of existing native woodlands under threat from, for example, overgrazing by deer or infestation by invasive non-native and exotic species such as sycamore and rhododendron. The Climate Resilience Reforestation Scheme supports the replacement of conifer stands at clearfell stage with native woodland.

Over time, I am confident that work completed by land owners and forest owners, supported by the above measures, will help to improve the conservation status of all four native woodland types listed under Annex 1 of the Habitats Directive.