Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 November 2022
339. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the recently announced €1.3 billion forestry allocation includes premium supports for farmers who must replace dead or rotten ash trees affected by Ash dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58590/22]
View answerSince the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently via the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) introduced in July 2020.
The current scheme provides 100% grant aid to landowners to clear their ash crop, replant with an alternate species and manage their forest until successfully established. For sites undergoing reconstitution, Forest Owners are able to choose to replant with a number of proposed Forest Types and the grant rates offered correspond to the equivalent rate offered in the Afforestation Scheme. If Forest Owners are still in receipt of premiums for their forests through the Afforestation Scheme they are paid at the premium rate that is equivalent to the Forest Type that they opt to replant with.
As the Deputy has mentioned, I have secured a package of €1.318 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland. It is intended to continue to offer the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme through the next Forestry Programme which will cover the period from 2023-2027, and as Deputies will be aware the Programme is currently undergoing public consultation as part of the SEA/AA process and is open for submissions until 29th November 2022. I have, of course, met with landowners whose forests have ash dieback and I am more than aware of their concerns and I will continue to work to address them.
