No increase in forestry scheme
“We are at a stage now where we have reached the maximum number of participants in the scheme,” he told the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. New entrants will be left into the scheme as people exit after completing their premium period.
“Up to now our graph of expenditure was increasing all the time, because no one was exiting the scheme or completing their term,” said Mr Smith, during a debate on greenhouse gas emissions.
A state forestry policy review, a review of the role of Coillte, and a review of the forestry grant and premium schemes are taking place, and reports are expected during the summer and in September. “I will use these to discover how we can provide more momentum to the sector,” he said.
“Ideally, I would like to see more private investment in the sector. I would also like to devise a way of ensuring Coillte gets back to an active forest plantation programme. It has not been involved in recent years. Members are aware of the case in the European courts which decided Coillte was not entitled to draw down a premium.”
Mr Smith said Government spending on the forestry programme is about €120 million per year, there are very good tax incentives for investment, and land prices have dropped.
