Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2021
225. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 393 of 30 September 2021, if he regards the integration between CAP and afforestation as being satisfactory during the current CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50265/21]
View answerDue to the long-term nature of forestry, it is considered that the best option is to continue to deliver the successor to the current Forestry Programme 2014-2020 (extended to end 2022) entirely separately from the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) and subject to new State aid rules rather than the requirements of the CSP Regulations.
The links between these two significant programmes of CAP and Forestry are of course well understood and it is a stated priority in the Programme for Government that they be better integrated. To achieve this, we are proposing a series of tree-planting measures under the new CAP schemes.
Various stakeholder organisations, representing the different interest groups, are participating in both the CAP Consultative Committee and the Forestry Policy Group to enhance coherence between both areas. In addition, Department officials have held a number of bilateral meetings with forestry sector representatives to discuss proposed CAP measures including the COFORD Council just last week.
The planting of trees has the potential to play a significant part in our environmental priorities especially water quality, biodiversity and climate. I remain committed to integration between the new Forest Strategy and the next CSP to ensure that measures in both will complement each other and lead to increased levels of tree planting.
