Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2021
357. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is an immediate need to increase the afforestation grant in line with his recent increase in the TAMS grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61019/21]
View answer361. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the real inflation adjusted increase or decrease in the afforestation grant for all GPC categories in each year since 2000 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61031/21]
View answer362. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether there is an immediate need to increase the second instalment grant on areas already afforested due to real increases in costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61096/21]
View answer363. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether there is an immediate need to increase grant support across all support schemes for forestry in line with real increases in costs; his position on TAMS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61097/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 357 and 361 to 363, inclusive, together.
The Forestry programme 2014-2020 was subjected to a midterm review in 2018 which assessed the rates of grants and premiums for all forestry schemes. As a result of this review a number of changes were made to grants and premiums which reflected increased costs in some areas and the level of scheme uptake. Afforestation grants and premiums were increased as a result of this review. Some of these changes included a 7% increase in grant rates for broadleaves and some conifer grant categories, a 5% increase in all broadleaves and some conifer premium categories and increased funding for forest roads.
In addition, my Department intends to proceed to pay for an ecology report submitted with an afforestation application when paying for the establishment of the plantation. This is to support the applicant in the preparation of habitat maps or similar documents when an application is submitted on their behalf. An environmental planning grant was recommended in the O’Hara Report. This is currently being implemented.
The Department is currently developing a new Forest Strategy which will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027. During the consultation process on the new programme all matters in relation to forestry including the payments of grants and premiums and the rates to obtain, will be open to the views of stakeholders and these will be considered.
