The current Afforestation Scheme provides a range of grants that cover the full cost of establishment of the plantation and payment of annual premiums to both incentivise planting and to compensate for the loss of agricultural activity on the land that is planted. The Afforestation Scheme is voluntary and demand-led. Financial support for the 2014-2020 Forestry Programme is 100% Exchequer funded under EU State Aid rules.
Forestry Support Schemes include funding for, inter alia, Forest Road Works, Reconstitution, Woodland Improvement Scheme along with COFORD, the Forest Service Inspectorate and Promotion.
The information requested is outlined in the table below:
Year
|
Afforestation Schemes
Allocation €m
|
Afforestation Schemes Expenditure €m
|
Support Schemes
Allocation €m
|
Support Schemes
Expenditure €m
|
2014
|
105.07
|
102.51
|
4.70
|
5.58
|
2015
|
103.56
|
98.70
|
6.00
|
3.99
|
2016
|
102.30
|
97.79
|
9.38
|
4.23
|
2017
|
98.50
|
93.63
|
10.55
|
5.88
|
January to week-ending 6th July 2018
|
91.49
|
72.51
|
11.51
|
2.55
|
The expenditure on Support Schemes in 2014 exceeded the allocation, payments due under other forestry schemes were facilitated by the transfer of unspent amounts.