Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 June 2021
335. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 358 and 359 of 20 May 2021, if the proposed scheme to plant trees along rivers and watercourses to act as carbon sinks and interceptors of nutrients currently being prepared by the Minister for State will be considered afforestation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35024/21]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides grant aid for the establishment of a wide range of tree planting measures which play an important role in environmental protection and removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Forests which are 0.1 hectares or more in size have the capacity to reach at least five metres in height and, with a minimum canopy cover of at least 20%, are accounted for and reported under Ireland's international reporting requirements.
Any existing and new tree planting measures proposed which satisfy these criteria will be reported and accounted against Ireland's climate change targets.
