Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 May 2023
94. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares planted for 2023; the number of licences issued; the target for licences issued in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25297/23]
View answerAs Deputies may be aware the new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022.
The new Programme will benefit farmers, rural communities and the overall climate and environment.
Subject to State Aid approval from the European Commission and the completion of the ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment/Appropriate Assessment (SEA/AA) process, this will support the largest, most farmer-friendly investment in forestry in the history of the State.
In recognition of the need for forestry activity to continue, and pending the launch of the new Programme, my Department engaged with the Commission last December to secure an interim solution which has led to the introduction of an Interim Afforestation Scheme, an Interim Forest Road Scheme and an interim Ash Dieback Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme via General De Minimis. This ensured that those with valid afforestation licences issued before the end of 2022 could avail of the current planting season under the higher grant and premium rates proposed under the new Programme. Likewise those with valid road licences and approvals under the Ash Dieback Scheme at the end of 2022 could avail of the higher grants and enhanced payment rates as proposed under the new Programme.
In terms of planting there are 797 approved afforestation licences with 5,819 hectares ready for planting and to date over 1,692 hectares have been approved for planting under the Interim De Minimis scheme. 441hectares has been planted and paid for to date in 2023. Furthermore 39,721 m have been approved under the interim Forest Road Scheme, while 74 hectares has been approved under the interim RUS scheme.
Looking at progress to date in 2023 my Department has issued 1,278 forestry licences overall. This can be broken down into 1,229 felling licences, 43 forest roads licences and six Afforestation licences, this reflects the fact that we cannot approve grant-aided road and afforestation licences until we receive State Aid approval from the EU Commision to the new Programme. While we await State Aid approval, the Department is continuing to process all applications that are in the system in the normal manner, progressing to the point just before certification and approval. The aim is to have processed as many grant aid applications as possible so that approvals will be ready to issue as soon as allowable
There is obvious merit in signalling to forest owners, landowners, and the forest sector our intentions as regards licensing which is why I intend to publish a new Forestry Licensing Plan once the new Forestry Programme has been approved at national and EU levels.
My Department has been engaging intensively with the Commission over the last few months and expect to hear from the Commission shortly. Both myself and Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, are absolutely committed to delivering a forestry programme for the benefit of farmers, landowners, the climate, rural communities and the overall economy.
