Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1158. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the actual expenditure by the Forest Service of his Department from 1 January 2023 to date; if he will detail the corresponding expenditure by the Forest Service of his Department for each of the years of the forestry programme 2014 to 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16342/23]
View answerThe forestry expenditure for the first quarter in each of the years from 2014 is shown in the table below.
Forestry Expenditure 2014-2023 Quarter 1
|
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
41,658,489 |
43,928,764 |
42,402,772 |
44,255,403 |
44,003,982 |
43,230,193 |
53,533,567 |
46,957,119 |
44,258,215 |
42,728,570 |
To 31st March 2023 there has been a total spend of €42,728,570. The 2023 expenditure represents an increase in spend for support schemes and reduced payments for new planting while we await state aid approval for the new forestry programme.
However, this planting figure does not include any expenditure under the Interim de minimis schemes. The portal to enable the submission of applications for payment opened on Wednesday 29th March and the first payments were processed in the week ending April 6th. To date a total of 243 applications have been approved under the interim Afforestation scheme (via general de minimis) representing 1,514 hectares. We have received completion notices for 86 of these contracts representing 467 hectares and payment applications for 190 hectares of this were received in the first few days after the opening of the payment portal.
Under the interim roads scheme 60 approvals have issued representing 23,349 metres.
I expect a significant increase in new planting payments and roads expenditure in the second quarter of this year.
