Vol. 514 No. 2
4 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the progress, if any, his Department has made with the European Commission in regard to proposals for substantial increases in the level of afforestation grants; and when an announcement will be made. [3828/00]
I join in congratulating my colleague, Deputy Fahey, and wish him every success. I know he will do very well.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have been concerned for some time with the shortfall in forestry planting as compared with the targets set. I therefore initiated early last year a review of the factors which lay behind this shortfall. It was evident from this review that significant changes in afforestation grants and premia would be required to create sufficient incentives to stimulate a substantial increase in the rate of planting.
I decided on foot of that review to bring forward and accelerate a submission to the Commission for changes in premia under the existing legal framework rather than await the submissions of proposals in early 2000 in the context of the new rural development programme. This submission was made in August 1999. On foot of the initial contacts with the Commission, the advice given to me at that time was that it would be possible to negotiate a favourable package and to conclude negotiation reasonably quickly. There has been an intensive ongoing engagement with the Commission at all levels, including with the Commissioner and his most senior officials.
Unfortunately, and despite our best efforts, a satisfactory package has not yet been agreed, particularly in respect of premia changes. The Commission has yet to complete fully its internal process of examination and consultation. It is also clear that, given the slippage on their timetable since last August, the Commission now intends to examine the proposals in light of the total set of measures which arise under the rural development programme.
The full process for approval of that programme could take up to next June. Given that our measures have already been on the table for some time, I am continuing to press for a faster timetable in respect of the forestry aspects of the package.
I confirm that the commitments I have given in respect of planting undertaken in the present season will be fully honoured.
I am surprised and disappointed with the reply. The Minister is aware that only 50% of the afforestation target was met under the last plan, which expired in 2000. The target was 25,000 acres of forestry per year but actual planting did not exceed 13,000 hectares per year. According to newspaper reports, the Minister's submission was made to Brussels last August. It was to be finalised and an announcement was to be made at the National Ploughing Championships in September. Then it was reported that an announcement would be made in October and now the Minister says we might have to wait until June for it.
Who are dragging their feet? The information we were given was that a response was awaited from Brussels but that Brussels was 100% behind the submission.
The Deputy is making statements. He should be asking questions.
What has caused the undue delay in introducing the new grant rates? People who are interested in forest production are saying the Minister is like Nero, who fiddled while Rome burned. There is a serious threat to the supply of native timber. I cannot see any reason it should take the EU authorities almost 12 months to make up their minds about a submission which was relatively acceptable when it was first made. Has the Minister recently approached the EU Commission to ask it to expedite its decision? Another year has passed and the planting season will be over before we get a result from Brussels.
The Deputy is making statements.
I urge the Minister to act immediately and get a decision from Brussels within the next four weeks.
Far be it from me to lay blame anywhere but it must be pointed out that there has been a significant amount of reorganisation in DG6, the agriculture section of the Commission. I am doing everything I can on this matter. I am conscious of the promises I made before Christmas which I believed I could deliver. As a result, I am pursuing the matter every day by way of telephone calls, letters and threats of visits. I will visit Brussels by the end of this month.
We put in our proposals last August, which was long before any of the other contacts were made under the rural development programme. As a result, I hoped we could deliver on them. However, any planting done in the current season will benefit from the new planting levels.
