Minister Tony Killeen, T.D., has confirmed that County Clare is to receive the third highest payment of annual forestry premiums being allocated nationally under a package announced by Government today.
The Clare Fianna Fail Deputy and former Forestry Minister added that the payment of 4,275,065 euro to hundreds of Clare forestry owners and farmers was a vindication of the increased forestry activity in the county in recent years.
“I have received confirmation from Sean Connick TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for forestry, that payment of annual forestry premiums of almost 53 million euro are being made to over 11,000 forest owners. The importance of forestry is underlined by the Government’s commitments in the renewed Programme for Government and the allocation of almost 120 million euro to Forestry for 2010”, stated Minister Killeen.
He continued: “The 4.275 million euro being allocated to County Clare forestry owners represents the bulk payment run of the annual forestry premium under the Forestry Programme, which is payable each year for twenty years in the case of farmers and for fifteen years in the case of non-farmers. The vast majority of recipients are farmers. It is estimated that the total paid out in forest premium payments nationally will exceed 60 million euro by the end of this year.”
“In my previous role as Forestry Minister, I was delighted to see a reversal of the downward trend in the level of afforestation throughout the country in 2009. There was a significant drop of approximately 1000 hectares per annum during recent years and 2009 marked a significant upsurge of approximately 500 hectares. I am hugely encouraged by the level of activity in County Clare, which I hope sees further expansion in the months and years ahead”, Minister Killeen concluded.
The Clare Fianna Fail Deputy and former Forestry Minister added that the payment of 4,275,065 euro to hundreds of Clare forestry owners and farmers was a vindication of the increased forestry activity in the county in recent years.
“I have received confirmation from Sean Connick TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with responsibility for forestry, that payment of annual forestry premiums of almost 53 million euro are being made to over 11,000 forest owners. The importance of forestry is underlined by the Government’s commitments in the renewed Programme for Government and the allocation of almost 120 million euro to Forestry for 2010”, stated Minister Killeen.
He continued: “The 4.275 million euro being allocated to County Clare forestry owners represents the bulk payment run of the annual forestry premium under the Forestry Programme, which is payable each year for twenty years in the case of farmers and for fifteen years in the case of non-farmers. The vast majority of recipients are farmers. It is estimated that the total paid out in forest premium payments nationally will exceed 60 million euro by the end of this year.”
“In my previous role as Forestry Minister, I was delighted to see a reversal of the downward trend in the level of afforestation throughout the country in 2009. There was a significant drop of approximately 1000 hectares per annum during recent years and 2009 marked a significant upsurge of approximately 500 hectares. I am hugely encouraged by the level of activity in County Clare, which I hope sees further expansion in the months and years ahead”, Minister Killeen concluded.
