asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he will implement a national tree growing policy as a theme for the eighties.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tree Growing Policy.
19.
My Department—in addition to their responsibility for implementation of the State afforestation programme—operate an attractive scheme of planting grants to assist private forestry. This scheme has, in fact, recently been revised and updated.
I am not clear as to what precisely the Deputy has in mind in this question but if he cares to elaborate on his suggestion and communicate with me I will certainly have the matter examined.
Is the Minister alarmed by the fact that we have such a low percentage of land in forestry, 4 per cent as opposed to the EEC average of 21 per cent?
That is a cause for concern and is possibly something which we inherited and we are trying to deal with it. I hope that the increases in the grant from £90 to £125 an acre might encourage other people to go into forestry. Any person who does will get the utmost co-operation from the Department.
Does the Minister feel that a major publicity effort by his Department might help to encourage private planting?
The Department find it difficult to acquire land to carry out their planting programme. There appears to be a reluctance among the agricultural community to utilise their land for forestry. Perhaps some form of publicity might be helpful.
Would the Minister accept that there is a need to have some definite policy to rectify the imbalance here, where we do not have enough forestry of a public or a private nature?
As far as the State is responsible, it has endeavoured to rectify the imbalance over the past 50 to 60 years. It must then be left to private individuals who want to enter into afforestation. It is a matter of free will but we give them every encouragement. The increased grants are a definite encouragement. It is not easy to change people's trends.
Would the Minister be prepared to publicise the grants in order to encourage private people to get involved?
I will consider it.
Am I right in suggesting that the grant the Minister is talking about is phased over a five-year period and is not a straight grant? Surely he must accept that the lion's share of forestry development, where there is such a great potential, must be taken on by the Department of Forestry and that as far as private people are concerned it will only be a very small percentage which they can contribute to?
The grant is paid in instalments over a period of eight years. That used to be ten years and the recent announcement has reduced it to eight years. This allows for proper husbandry and proper forestry practices. The phasing of the grant enables the Department to examine them and see that they are carried out.