Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 May 2023
93. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares of new afforestation in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and the projected total for 2023. [25192/23]
View answerThe Government has committed €1.3 billion to the new Forestry Programme, which is the biggest and largest funded Forestry Programme ever introduced by any Government here. It has been designed to contribute to our climate change and biodiversity objectives and is aimed in particular at re-engaging farmers in order that we can reach our ambitious afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year. It has an emphasis on close to nature forestry, and also provides for small scale planting of up to one hectare by farmers without the need for a licence.
Planting levels in recent years include 2,434 hectares planted in 2020, 2016 hectares in 2021, 2,273 in 2023 with 441 hectares planted in 2023 to date.
In order to ensure that planting continued during the Spring planting season, and to fill the lacuna created by the end of the Forestry Programme on 31st December, 2022, I launched an interim afforestation scheme. To date we have granted approval for over 1,600 hectares under this scheme with work commenced on over 1,300 hectares.
I am confident that the unprecedented incentives and variety offered under the new Programme will result in a significant increase in afforestation in the coming years. We intend to increase premiums for planting trees by between 46% and 66% and to extend the premium period from 15 to 20 years for farmers.
We will be asking all across the forestry sector to support this new and exciting vision for forestry in Ireland.
