Dublin, EU make a mess of forestry

STOP-GO Government funding has seriously dented the momentum of forestry planting, with failure to meet targets becoming an embarrassment for the Government and its state organisations promoting afforestation as an alternative use of land.

When farmers wanted to plant, there was insufficient funding.

Or, unless the applicant could prove that a quarter of his total income had been derived from the land intended to be planted, he was not categorised as a ‘farmer’ for forestry premia purposes.