Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 November 2018
197. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated to, and expended on, the woodland improvement scheme in each of the years since it was established to date in 2018, in tabular form; and the number of active participants in the scheme per annum. [46391/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Woodland Improvement Scheme (Element 1: Thinning and Tending), was introduced in 2015 as part of the Forestry Programme 2014-2020. The aim of the Scheme is provide financial support to forest holders towards the cost of works associated with tending and thinning of broadleaf forests planted post-1980 under grant-aided afforestation schemes.
I intend to launch an enhancement to the Woodland Improvement Scheme in the coming months, which will provide grant-aid for a second thinning intervention. This additional scheme was announced as part of the mid-term review of the Afforestation Programme.
The allocation for the Woodland Improvement Scheme is included in the overall allocation for Forestry Support Schemes each year. In 2018, the allocation for all support schemes was just over €11 million. Expenditure under the Scheme and the number of participants in each of the years, 2015 – 2018 (to end October) is shown in the following table.
|
Year |
Expenditure |
Participants |
|
2015 |
€497,093 |
138 |
|
2016 |
€614,993 |
179 |
|
2017 |
€632,271 |
161 |
|
2018 (to end October) |
€337,069 |
102 |
