Afforestation Programme

Tuesday, 2 October 2018

Questions (466)

Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

466. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares planted annually with deciduous trees in each of the years 2007 to 2017, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39399/18]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The midterm review of the Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020, completed in February this year, provided my Department with an opportunity to take stock of the existing planting strategy. The review found that some targets were not being met including the 30% planting target for native broadleaves.

Following an extensive consultation process with stakeholders, my Department implemented a series of actions to promote native broadleaves. The grants and premiums for broadleaves were increased by 7 % and 5% respectively and the minimum mandatory percentage of broadleaves in any individual afforestation project was increased from 10% to 15%. Last week Minister Doyle also launched the Woodland Environmental Fund (WEF) which is a Corporate Social Responsibility project, aimed at corporate entities, to promote and encourage the planting of broadleaves.

The increases in premiums and grants, the increase in the minimum mandatory percentage of broadleaves in all afforestation projects, the promotion of Agro-forestry and Forestry for Fibre and the launch of the WEF is expected to lead to an increase in the planting of native broadleaves.

The number of hectares planted with broadleaves in each of the years 2007 to 2017, is given in the table below and is available on my Department's website:

County	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Carlow	17.35	10.04	22.46	54.51	4.41	22.96	13.60	3.04	19.06	13.82	12.57
Cavan	46.23	72.42	83.96	106.63	75.32	48.56	57.90	50.17	57.17	89.13	68.59
Clare	232.28	273.33	225.94	189.63	153.56	90.62	58.01	65.24	106.43	73.08	63.73
Cork	418.8	366.78	311.06	523.97	468.97	344.54	185.26	182.28	147.59	110.81	81.70
Donegal	49.41	26.30	53.09	41.56	22.58	17.33	9.78	3.66	10.16	7.14	14.56
Dublin	10.12	9.73	0.00	0.00	1.28	8.56	0.00	2.01	1.51	1.30	4.16
Galway	72.79	58.56	111.37	204.22	127.88	108.50	92.90	103.34	114.97	55.75	91.98
Kerry	200.35	223.27	190.71	276.46	224.19	95.35	114.75	104.90	103.82	113.81	130.51
Kildare	28.35	10.00	41.50	27.66	53.87	91.45	27.03	48.89	4.77	4.40	23.12
Kilkenny	90.68	91.49	80.65	180.24	117.72	131.23	61.84	51.33	72.65	66.11	24.23
Laois	37.06	54.98	33.78	57.43	43.69	69.86	27.40	34.91	22.17	31.64	15.13
Leitrim	73.4	47.62	50.44	63.15	114.91	79.33	71.21	40.91	70.77	72.68	81.69
Limerick	134.14	176.33	125.64	110.74	122.00	78.43	50.84	25.76	24.35	65.34	10.89
Longford	25.23	38.19	29.14	80.25	61.24	37.12	54.03	49.75	88.31	44.93	28.85
Louth	28	27.54	27.07	28.80	6.70	16.49	19.50	0.00	17.74	4.75	19.62
Mayo	77.06	99.37	112.36	129.05	45.69	36.63	58.53	75.50	62.40	59.23	78.32
Meath	18.83	42.59	89.91	178.08	50.45	116.12	60.82	33.34	25.20	30.90	61.47
Monaghan	13.29	18.33	38.36	61.08	29.82	37.06	31.59	32.72	8.46	16.05	14.08
Offaly	21.4	88.72	185.76	128.64	95.11	96.03	32.25	27.71	28.98	29.50	50.46
Roscommon	63.97	99.35	102.94	83.70	59.07	56.48	67.09	69.11	59.92	81.73	75.43
Sligo	43.46	38.48	80.42	16.18	20.81	35.81	69.21	49.29	28.19	41.99	29.01
Tipperary	223.67	172.78	175.17	202.87	204.01	167.07	77.95	64.29	72.58	39.04	27.81
Waterford	112.95	62.68	94.46	96.66	89.18	38.68	25.29	36.38	26.11	35.50	25.45
Westmeath	43.53	42.59	84.63	83.61	98.44	104.26	105.63	81.40	44.13	102.05	54.50
Wexford	81.56	40.73	79.52	187.79	116.14	69.25	66.03	59.24	28.57	42.44	39.66
Wicklow	17.89	34.94	42.86	36.41	39.67	47.69	53.76	52.89	17.03	37.18	33.62