Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2017
883. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional cost to the Exchequer based on participation rates on implementing over a full year the proposal (details supplied) in the midterm review of the forestry programme from 2014 to 2020. [45679/17]
View answerIf the total forest area of an application does not increase as a result of the higher ABE threshold proposed, the additional cost to the Exchequer would be zero as the same area would be eligible for grant and premiums. However in this scenario the difference would be that the area eligible for payment would have fewer trees planted and thus would not be consistent with the aims of the afforestation programme.
However, if the area in each application were to increase by 20% from the current levels in order to facilitate the additional ABE, then this would have the same proportional increase in the level of grants and premiums that would need to be paid. In this scenario and based on 2016 planting levels, the cost to the Exchequer would be in the region of €15 million, without any additional trees planted.
