Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 April 2023
101. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of afforestation licences issued to date for 2023; what measures are being taken to ensure the Climate Action Afforestation Target is met for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18542/23]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently secured funding of €1.3 billion for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. Subject to State Aid approval, this will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland.
I am pleased to say that we have commenced our formal submission for State Aid approval and I expect that it will be fully lodged by the end of this week.
This clears the way for the Commission to formally assess our application and to make a determination on our request for State Aid approval. Once that has been received we will be in a position to launch the new Programme, pending finalisation of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, which I am assured is nearing completion.
Currently, while we await State Aid approval we can only issue licences for non-grant aided afforestation applications, of which four have been granted. However, the Department has put in place an Interim Afforestation Scheme (via De Minimis) which provides the option of immediate planting for those with valid grant aided approvals to end December 2022. To date in 2023 we have granted 248 afforestation applications representing 1,533 hectares under the De Minimis Scheme.
For those that wish to wait for the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023 -2027, unused valid Afforestation licences are being extended until the end of 2023 to give landowners every opportunity to plant and they will attract increased premium rates and a longer term of 20 years for farmers.
In terms of afforestation applications which were applied for before 31st December, 2022, but not issued, we are continuing to process these so that they can transition into the new Programme as seamlessly as possible when it opens.
In relation to the afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year as set out in the Climate Action Plan, the new increased premium rates and extended period of 20 year payments to farmers will, I expect, re-engage landowners, farmers in particular, and realise the land-use change needed.
The €1.3 billion funding provides unprecedented incentives to encourage the planting of trees that can provide a valuable addition to farm income and also to help meet our national climate and biodiversity objectives.
