Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
761. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total hectares of high nature value grassland now excluded from the forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39996/23]
View answer762. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who was the qualified authority who decided the definition and area of high nature value grasslands to be removed form afforestation activity in the forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39997/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 761 and 762 together.
The State Aid approval for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 contains new environmental requirements. These additional requirements fully align the licence application and assessment process for afforestation with both environmental legislation and with the State Aid conditions underpinning the new Forestry Programme.
I would like to assure the Deputy that there are no areas automatically excluded from afforestation as a result of an overlap with a High Nature Value Farming likelihood classification. Research from Teagasc in 2020 identified five likelihood categories of High Nature Value farmland (HNVf) in Ireland, and mapped their distribution. This indicative HNVf map has been incorporated into my Department's IT systems (iFORIS and iNET) and can be used by Registered Foresters and by my Department when submitting and processing applications. Where an application is within an area that has been classified on the map as having a high likelihood of being HNVf, then the applicant will be required to provide additional information.
This additional information will be provided in the form of a habitat survey classification, a species survey to indicate site productivity, assessment of any overlap with semi-natural grassland layer and the links or potential links to Annex I habitat. In the assessment of the application my Department will consider this information and all other relevant information. Sites, or parts of sites, that have a high scoring in terms of species rich grassland will not be planted.
I am acutely aware of the need to increase our levels of afforestation but I am also conscious that this needs to be done in a legally compliant and environmentally sustainable manner. I am confident that the new environmental considerations introduced for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will allow us to achieve this.
