Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
398. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an overview of how his Department intends to promote the commercial forestry industry as part of the new Forestry Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49899/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to increasing the number of timber growers in the State and offers grants to fully establish new forests and support the management of the existing forest estate. The Government’s new Forest Strategy places a strong emphasis on the use of timber and its important role in reducing the amounts of concrete and steel in construction.
The new €1.3 billion Forestry Programme, launched in September, offers attractive grants and yearly premiums for landowners to plant new forests for timber. Applicants can receive grants of €4,452 per hectare, and annual payments of up to €863 per year for 20 years to plant a new diverse conifer forest for timber production with 20% broadleaf species through the new Afforestation Scheme.
My Department has commenced a comprehensive promotional and advertising campaign on all options available to landowners under this programme. The first phase of this campaign has included advertising in print and on radio, both national and regional as well as social media channels and is entering its second phase now with intensifying reach. The second phase of the local and regional radio campaign includes a bespoke farming package with spots around farming programmes. My Department will also be funding projects to promote commercial use of timber under the recent call for proposals for promotional projects.
Last week, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett has appointed a new Steering Group to increase the use of timber in construction. This new Interdepartmental & Industry Steering Group on Timber in Construction brings together industry and government Departments to assess the needs of the sector and to increase the use of timber in construction. The group is tasked with examining potential obstacles to increasing the use of timber, including regulatory and standardisation challenges, and to maximising the use of home-grown timber.
We want to see more timber used in construction. Not only is wood a sustainable, home-grown product, but it can also replace steel and concrete, reducing the carbon footprint of our buildings. Timber used in construction is an excellent way of storing and locking up carbon and has a positive impact on our climate. We know our forests bring great benefits for our climate, water quality, nature and biodiversity - growing timber as a product for construction is also central to our climate efforts and to the future of the forest sector.
