Vol. 452 No. 8
37 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of applications received for grant aid under the various forestry schemes from County Donegal; the numbers that will be refused or found ineligible due to the proposed natural heritage areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8821/95]
The number of applications received for grant aid under the various forestry schemes from County Donegal since 1 January 1993 is 591, representing 12,089 hectares.
Of these applications, 72, representing 2,567 hectares are located in areas of scientific or heritage sensitivity identified by the Office of Public Works and, as such, require particular examination and consultation with the Office of Public Works. Of these 72 cases, the actions taken were as follows: 29 have been approved for grant aid without any modifications; 19 have been refused grant aid on grounds that, by virtue of location, the proposal is incompatible with the protection of the environment; in 12 cases the proposers have had to modify the proposal to some extent, e.g. by reducing the area or by using native species, in order to secure grant approval; 11 cases, representing 399 hectares, are currently being processed; in one case the applicant has withdrawn the application.
