I attended the ploughing championships, although I did not see the Deputy there, and I met many people there. I visited all the stands relating to forestry, which I was happy to see were all in one location this year because of my initiative in that regard. It is their view that there is tremendous interest in forestry this year. That is probably because there is a fairly clear indication that the grant for forestry will increase substantially. I hope to be in a position to announce that in the very near future. I accept what the Deputy said about how we are not meeting the target, but I intend to come very close to that target in the next year. I know I am under pressure to tell the people the grants are available. That will happen in the next fortnight.
Regarding the REP scheme, some schemes compete with forestry. Forestry is a tremendous alternative to conventional farming, especially on poorer soils. The income from forestry lasts for 20 years and is tax free. Farmers should consider it carefully as an alternative, especially given that the new grants will be greatly in excess of those provided under the REPS programme. An investment in forestry is a tremendous one for the country, albeit after 40 years, and I encourage farmers to become involved.