Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2016
15. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether afforestation, particularly the use of native species, is being utilised to its full potential in relation to efforts to maintain and improve water quality and for the purposes of flood mitigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32335/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAfforestation of both native and non-native species can contribute towards the protection and enhancement of water quality and can also help in reducing the risk of flooding in lower lying areas of the catchment.
In relation to water quality, new, well sited forests help reduce sediment mobilisation and runoff into nearby watercourses thereby protecting the quality of the water for fisheries and other aquatic life. These forests also help reduce nutrient runoff and contribute towards stabilising the banks of rivers and streams. Forests also play an important role in reducing the risk of flooding through canopy interception, the use of water by the trees themselves, and the higher infiltration rates and greater storage capacity within forest soils. While these different mechanisms vary depending on the type of forest and the season, they underline the importance of forest land use as part of any wider solution to floodwater control.
My Department operates a Forestry Programme that provides funding for the creation and management of a wide range of forest and woodland types, in order to realise the variety of environmental, economic and social benefits and services forest development brings. Various measures under the programme can be used strategically as part of a wider response to water management within a catchment. These include the following:
- The Afforestation Scheme, which can be used to deliver appropriately sited, and well-designed and managed forests and woodlands ranging from more productive-focused forests to agro-forestry plantations to more biodiversity-focused native woodlands. Grant aid under the scheme is designed to cover the cost of establishment, and annual premiums are payable for up to 15 years. The Afforestation Scheme can deliver a range of forest and woodland types in both upland and lowland areas, delivering floodwater management as one of many 'eco-system services'.
- The Native Woodland Conservation Scheme, which can be used to convert conifer forests alongside watercourses, into native woodland. This scheme provides grant aid (along with a 7-year premium, for private woodland owners) to undertake the appropriate restoration of existing woodlands, and also, the conversion of conifer forest into native woodland. Converting existing conifer forests into native woodland at strategic points along watercourses, accompanied by drain-blocking and other site restoration measures, can help reduce the risk of flooding and sedimentation of nearby watercourse by providing areas for inundation during periods of high flow. This type of development is a key action in the protection of the freshwater pearl mussel where the improvement of water quality is of critical importance.
New forests established under the afforestation scheme located within uplands and elsewhere are subject to a variety of silvicultural and environmental checks and standards, including cultivation and drainage standards, to ensure that any new afforestation does not pose an undue risk to the environment and does not exacerbate floodwaters. In addition, native woodlands must be included alongside aquatic buffer zones in water sensitive sites such as aquatic Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and sensitive fisheries areas when establishing new forests. This will provide a filtration buffer zone slowing down runoff from upland areas and helping to prevent sediment reaching rivers and streams.
Targets for afforestation over the period 2015 – 2020 are set out in the forestry programme. While the planting of native woodlands is less than the level expected, afforestation overall in 2015 was higher than the target set. In relation to 2016, early figures indicate that the Department is on target to reach its targets for 2016.
