Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1090. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if IT systems within the forestry division are currently capable of processing licensing applications in relation to the new forestry programme; if not, if any works are currently being undertaken to ensure that they are made ready; the status of any such works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16953/23]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware that the Department is involved in an intensive process with the EU Commission to secure state aid approval for the ambitious new Forestry Programme 2023 - 2027. Late last year, interim schemes for afforestation and roads were launched providing the opportunity for existing approval holders who had not commenced work under the previous scheme to opt into the interim scheme via general de minimis. More recently an interim scheme for the reconstitution of ash dieback was launched.
The proposed new programme contains not only significantly increased rates of grant and premiums, but also new forest types as well as new schemes and substantial development work of our IT system is necessitated. The introduction of interim schemes added another layer of development to this work. This work has been ongoing from the last quarter of 2022. Work on all aspects of the Afforestation and Roads for the new programme and the interim schemes is fully completed including payment stages. Work is ongoing on other schemes with priority to ash dieback, the Native Tree Area, Woodland Improvement and Reconstitution.
The Deputy may be aware that our systems must be capable of reflecting all the environmental and inspection layers involved in approving forestry applications as well as all fiduciary and reporting responsibilities at payment stage and this involves extensive IT development work and user testing and I am very pleased that the main schemes of afforestation and roads are fully operational at this time subject to any changes that the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and the EU Commission state aid approval process might necessitate.
