Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022
820. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the existing ash dieback reconstitution and underplanting scheme and provide new annual premiums to forest owners affected by ash dieback that engage in any new revamped scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5926/22]
View answerSince the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme introduced in July 2020.
Premium payments are made from the time of establishment of the plantation up to the time the crop became infected and support through the RUS or preceding schemes was sought from my Department. Following approval into the RUS scheme, the re-start of premium payments begins from the date the last premium was paid and up to year 15 or year 20 as appropriate, rather than re-starting from year zero again.
By the end of 2019, well over 1,000 hectares of infected and associated ash plantations had been cleared and replanted with alternative species at a cost to the exchequer of over €7 million.
Additional payments are available for site clearance and for the establishment of a replacement crop. The option not to replant is not possible because of the replanting obligations of the Forestry Act 2014. As advised in Circular 11/2021, older ash plantations (>25 years) also now qualify for consideration under RUS.
The Department has received 512 applications to date under the scheme and has approved 170. Our priority is to continue to work with applicants under the scheme and issue approvals as quickly as possible.
