Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
904. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the adoption of the previously announced Forestry Programme 2023-2027 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35722/23]
View answer905. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a commencement date for the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027; and to outline the reason(s) for the delay in the Programme's commencement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35756/23]
View answer906. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position with the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 which is due to commence on 1 January 2023; if the programme has been finalised and approved; when he expects approval to be given in view of the current crisis in the forestry industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35772/23]
View answer909. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will be approved and commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35862/23]
View answer911. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he expects the forestry programme 2023-2027 to be approved; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35871/23]
View answer916. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date on which the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will come into operation; for a status update on the State Aid approval process with regard to the new programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36007/23]
View answer922. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide full clarification on the long delays associated with the implementation of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36191/23]
View answer928. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) concerning the implementation of the forestry programme 2023-2027. [36360/23]
View answer930. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the timeframe for the commencement of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027, in view of the fact that the postponement of same compromises the Government's climate action obligations to plant 8,000 hectares of new forests annually; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36376/23]
View answer941. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasons for the delay in the implementation of a new Forestry Programme; if he will detail the concerns the European Commission is reported to have with the programme submitted by his Department; the action his Department is taking to address those concerns; if he will confirm a timeline for the commencement of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36866/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 904, 905, 906, 909, 911, 916, 922, 928, 930 and 941 together.
The new ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022.
The new Programme is subject to State Aid approval under the Guidelines from the EU Commission. It is also subject to an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment process, which is well advanced. The previous State Aid Guidelines in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas also expired on 31 December 2022 and have now been replaced with a revised version as of 01 January 2023.
The introduction of these revised guidelines meant that a formal application for State Aid could not have been submitted to the European Commission until the revised guidelines were in place, i.e. before January 2023.
The Department has been engaging proactively and intensively with the EU Commission over the last few months in order to secure approval. I can advise that to this effect, my Department has responded in detail to each written correspondence relating to this notification and expect a final reply in coming weeks.
Once State Aid approval is received, we will be in a position to launch new forestry schemes, subject to finalization of the Strategic Environmental Assessment.
The launch of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is a matter of the utmost priority for my Department. As you will be aware, a comprehensive and well-subscribed Forestry Programme has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for climate change, biodiversity, wood production, economic development and quality of life.
