Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 4 Dec 1996

Vol. 472 No. 4

Written Answers. - Urban Afforestation Schemes.

Kathleen Lynch

Ceist:

61 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number and location of urban afforestation schemes currently operating; and the plans, if any, he has for the further development of such schemes. [23015/96]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

On 3 March 1996, I launched two new schemes to promote amenity and urban forestry. These schemes are the urban woodland scheme and the amenity woodland scheme.

Prior to this, two pilot urban woodland projects were established in counties Limerick and Wexford. The Limerick project was a partnership between Shannon Development, Limerick Corporation, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the local business community. The Wexford project was developed under the Department's planned recreational forestry scheme which has since been replaced by the two new schemes which I mentioned above.

As regards these schemes, 13 applications have been received under the urban woodland scheme and ten under the amenity woodland scheme. The areas referred to in the applications under the urban scheme are located in Cork (8), Dublin (2), Louth (2) and Wicklow (1). The amenity scheme applications were received from Kilkenny (2), Mayo (2) and one each from Cork, Galway, Louth, Meath, Tipperary and Waterford. These are currently being assessed, which involves detailed consideration of proposals and site visits in each case. The assessment of cases on hands is well advanced and I expect to make decisions on funding for these early in the new year.