Ciarán Cuffe
Question:146 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will consider the provision of grant assistance for the first thinning of deciduous forests, which were initially planted under the afforestation grant scheme; and if the forestry service is researching methods by which this thinning process for hardwood trees can become more mechanised and where a market is best developed for the thinning products. [27063/02]