Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 July 2021

Thursday, 15 July 2021

Ceisteanna (2)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

2. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of Exchequer funding spent on afforestation investment for the years 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38489/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The current Forestry Programme (2014-2020), operated by the Department commenced in 2015 and offers an ambitious and attractive set of forestry measures aimed at increasing timber production and continuing to provide up to 12,000 jobs in the forestry sector while at the same time improving the quality of the natural environment.

The Department provides generous grants to landowners who wish to plant forestry through the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme. The Scheme provides 100% of establishment grants with annual premiums for up to 15 years, depending on the species chosen.

A wide variety of schemes are specifically focused on the establishment and management of forests that deliver significant biodiversity benefits. The Native Woodland Establishment Scheme supports the planting of new native woodland and the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme aims to conserve existing native woodland and help to convert conifer stands to native woodland at key locations.

The Exchequer spending on afforestation in the years 2016 to 2021 to date amounts to approx €486m. This includes payments for new planting in those years and payment of premiums for planting in previous years. The area of newly established forestry in the years 2016 to 2020 amounts to 22,045 hectares.

It is Government policy and has been for successive decades to increase forest cover in Ireland, to bring it into line with European norms. We have been very successful in increasing cover from 1% at the turn of the century to 11% currently and this would not have been achieved without State investment. We are still some way from our objective of 18% cover and, undoubtedly, State investment will continue to be needed to achieve this.

We are currently developing a new Forest Strategy under Project Woodland which will inform the content of the new Forestry Programme. All interested parties will have an opportunity to have a say in how and what and where we should plant under a public consultation process later this year and I encourage engagement with this process.

Details of payments for afforestation in each of the individual years 2016 to 2021 to date will be provided separately to the Deputy.

Questions Nos. 3 and 4 answered orally.
Barr
Roinn