The Strategic Plan for the Development of the Forestry Sector published in 1996 sets out the economic and social rationale for the undertaking of a major afforestation programme to the year 2035. The plan provides for both individual planters and Coillte Teoranta undertaking afforestation with the aim of doubling the country's current level of forest area of approximately 600,000 hectares to 1.2 million hectares over that period. In this regard over one million hectares of land, predominately wet mineral soils, have been identified as being particularly suitable for afforestation.
Forestry has developed as a major land use in recent years supported in particular by measures under the CAP reform to promote it as an alternative use of agricultural land and by the Operational Programme for Agriculture, Rural Development and Forestry which supports development in the forestry sector generally.
The current emphasis in land use policy is on the promotion and encouragement of both environmentally friendly and sustainable farming and forestry and there is ongoing liaison between my Department and the Departments of Agriculture and Food and the Environment and Local Government in this regard.