Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 6

Written Answers. - Afforestation Programme.

Phil Hogan

Question:

168 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the criteria whereby a farmer can participate in the Coillte Teoranta afforestation scheme and continue to participate in the early farmer retirement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10477/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh):

Under the terms and conditions of the current scheme of early retirement from farming, where a transferor – the retiring farmer releasing land into the scheme – has already land planted in forestry prior to his-her retirement, he/she can claim maintenance and planting grants and the CAP forest premium.

Where a farming transferee cannot be found, the transferor can apply to my Department for approval to reassign the land to non-agricultural uses, that is, forestry. In this case, he-she may claim the maintenance and planting grants. However, the CAP forest premium cannot be paid to him/her while he/she is in receipt of the early retirement pension.

Where land is released to a farming transferee – the trained younger farmer taking over the land released into the scheme – the transferee may plant forestry, subject to the prior written approval of my Department. However, he-she must continue to meet the scheme requirement of practising farming as a main occupation. In this situation, the transferee may claim the mainten ance and planting grants, as well as the CAP forest premium.

The last date for applications to enter the existing scheme was 31 December last. Proposals for a new scheme have been submitted to the European Commission as part of my Department's draft rural development plan 2000-06. Until the Commission has approved the new scheme it will not be possible to say whether the provisions in respect of forestry will be the same as those outlined above.