Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Jun 1998

Vol. 492 No. 4

Written Answers. - Afforestation Programme.

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

94 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the number of complaints his Department has received in relation to non-compliance and breaches of regulations and guidelines regarding forestry in each of the years from 1993 to 1997. [14072/98]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

I am assuming the Deputy is referring to formal complaints to the European Commission on issues which included Ireland's afforestation policy.

The European Commission has requested comments from the Irish Administration in respect of five complaints over the last five years on issues which included afforestation. Of the five, two relate to alleged phosphorous pollution in lakes and a number of activities, of which afforestation is but one, are cited as being contributory factors. A third relates to an aspect of Ireland's transposition of the EU Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment (85/337/EED); i.e. the level at which EIA should be required for certain classes of projects, one of which is afforestation. The remaining two relate solely to afforestation, one to the alleged acidification effects of forestry in County Wicklow and one to damage alleged to have been caused to an area of scientific interest in County Mayo. These complaints are at various stages of investigation — responses have been submitted in all cases — and may not of course be upheld. I should also emphasise that it is a general condition of grant-aid that forestry development is compatible with the environment and a range of controls are in place for the prevention of environmentally destructive afforestation.

Gerry Reynolds

Question:

95 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources his views on whether the forestry development focuses on individual applications rather than on overall planning or impact; and if so, the plans, if any, he has to use a strategic approach to land use in conjunction with the Departments of the Environment and Local Government and of Agriculture and Food. [14073/98]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

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.