Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
233. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027, if preference will be given to support the preservation of certain habitats over others like open hill, depleted upland bog and heathland, even if native woodland was the original habitat in a given area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40773/23]
View answerI am pleased to say that the new Afforestation Scheme, which offers an increased establishment grant and increased premiums for up to 20 years, opened on 6th September 2023, and that we are now in a position to grant afforestation licences and scheme approvals under the new 2023-2027 Forestry Programme.
Under the Programme, there will be much improved incentives to create new native woodlands and to restore existing native woodlands.
All new afforestation licence applications will, of course, be subject to a comprehensive assessment process, to ensure compliance with environmental legislation.
In regard to the preservation of certain habitats - and in accordance with Ireland's obligation to comply with EU State Aid and environmental requirements - afforestation under the new Programme will be avoided on environmentally unsuitable sites. Afforestation will be adapted to environmental sensitivities, such as habitats and species (including Natura sites, Freshwater Pearl Mussel and Hen Harrier, Breeding Curlew, open habitat birds, Annex I habitats), high nature value farmland, peat soils, hedgerows, water quality (including fisheries sensitive areas, waterbody status, acid-sensitive areas), archaeology, landscape, and local sensitivities.
For example, in relation to Curlew, an exclusionary buffer zone of 1.5 kilometres around Curlew nest sites is applied, within which no afforestation may take place. Other restrictions apply to protect other breeding waders. Afforestation is also ruled out within the boundary of all Special Protection Areas and within other defined areas to protect threatened bird species. Sites that are now Annex 1 habitats may not be planted, whether designated or not. Sites that are defined as wetlands are also excluded from the scheme. These and other exclusions are applied in response to the current ecological characteristics and designations, even if native woodland was the original habitat in those same areas, as was the case historically over the majority of Ireland.
