While a number of limited evaluations of the national forest estate have been carried out in the past these have been somewhat ineffective particularly in respect of identification of privately owned forests and woodland.
My Department is developing a forest inventory and planning system, FIPS, which is based on a geographical information system, GIS and will provide information on the location and classification of Ireland's forest resource. The system will also provide data on current growing stock as well as forecasting future volume production. This data will provide valuable information which will assist in developing existing and future mainstream forest industry as well as high value niche industries. The planning component of FIPS will be capable of guiding the location and characteristics of future afforestation, by taking into account environmental and aesthetic considerations.
Investment in the new system, which is receiving substantial financial support from the European Union, will result in a state-of-art technological framework for the future development of the forestry sector in Ireland.