Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 September 2022
587. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Forest Service of his Department is on track to deliver on the commitment in the Forestry Licencing Plan 2022 to approve 350 applications for reconstitution of woodland scheme – frost damage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45555/22]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) launched a Reconstitution of Woodland scheme to address frost damage earlier this year. The scheme was set up due to significant late spring frost events which took place during May 2019, May 2020, and May 2021. The scheme was established to reconstitute newly planted forests significantly damaged by these frost events and replacing dead trees with plants of acceptable quality, provenances and species. It is also to provide for remedial pruning of damaged crops where damage is significant but not severe enough to warrant full replacement of stems.
The scheme was open to private forest owners who planted during the period between 1st November 2017 and 1st June 2021 and whose entire plantations sustained a minimum of 30% losses were eligible to apply under the Scheme. The scheme was open for applications from Wednesday, January 19th, 2022 with a closing date for applications of Tuesday 31st May , 2022.
DAFM is currently processing all applications received.
Full scheme details are available on www.gov.ie/en/collection/73aea-schemes-and-services-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/#forestry.
