IFA welcomes forestry schemes but demands additional funding

THE Irish Farmers Association has welcomed a reassurance given to landowners by Minister of State Tony Killeen that specified forestry schemes will remain fully operational but has also demanded additional funding be provided for the programmes.

In a recent statement, Mr Killeen said the afforestation scheme, the forest environment protection scheme and the establishment element of the native woodland scheme remain fully operational.

His reassurance that applications are being processed and approvals issued followed claims that further approvals under a number of forestry support schemes would not issue for the moment, as the funding provided in 2008 had been exhausted.

Mr Killeen said, however, that this situation will be reviewed when the funding position for next year has become clear.

IFA Farm Forestry Committee chairman Pat Hennessy said: “Forestry is a very long-term commitment for a farmer and IFA demand the same long-term commitment from the Government.”

Mr Hennessy said the stop-start approach to funding has had disastrous implications for forestry in the past. The afforestation programme had been declining year on year since the break in funding in 2003.

“The demand for these support schemes is self-evident. It was only in March of this year that support schemes were opened and four months later all funding has been exhausted,” he said

Mr Hennessy said the schemes were introduced to assist farmers to cover the costs of non-viable management operations such as forest roads, high pruning conifers or shaping of broadleaves.