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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jan 2000

Vol. 513 No. 1

Written Answers. - Afforestation Programme.

Michael Bell

Question:

166 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the plans, if any, the forest service has for the use of the new geographic information system; the planned function for the new system; if it will be used to manage all planting grant schemes, the administration of felling licences, the monitoring of disease outbreaks, mapping and environmental impact studies; if the information will be available to potential growers and the general public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1333/00]

The forest inventory and planning system or FIPS is the geographic information system, GIS, currently being developed by the Forest Service. FIPS is a strategic planning and administration tool that will function on a number of different levels, not least of which is the generation of national, regional and local forestry statistics.

It will assist the Forest Service in guiding the location and character of future afforestation by identifying areas suitable for forestry development from an environmental and landscape perspective. In order to achieve this, FIPS has been designed to manage the administration of all forestry grant schemes and felling licence applications, thereby allowing proposed forestry development to be cross-referenced with all key environmental datasets. These datasets include national heritage areas, special protection areas, special areas of conservation, county development plans and also catchment areas of sensitive waterways.

Also incorporated into the system is the EU signs and symptoms form, which will help collate valuable information on pest and disease out breaks throughout the country. In addition to fulfilling EU obligations with regard to recording this data, this function will provide the baseline information essential in planning and implementing measures designed to control these outbreaks.
FIPS is characterised by its significant development potential not only in the area of forest management but also in its potential as a tool to assist in environmental impact studies. The most significant development feature of FIPS, however, is its accessibility by remote users either through the Internet or through ISDN connections.
The Forest Service hopes to continue its work on FIPS so that commercial forestry companies and private growers can log on to the system to process grant and premium applications electronically. Further development will also allow for public access over the Internet, thereby allowing widespread access to forestry information by schools and individuals interested, for example, in finding out the composition of the forest estate in their local area.

Paul McGrath

Question:

167 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if a retired farmer, on completion of the period when he was in receipt of farm retirement scheme payments, will be eligible to avail of grant aid for the afforestation of his land; and the rate of grant aid available in these circumstances. [1375/00]

A retired farmer on completion of the relevant farm retirement scheme premium payments would be eligible for grant aid for afforestation. However, as the person in question would be deemed to have retired from farming any premium payable on the land would be at the non-farmer rate.

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