Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 May 2022
414. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of frost reconstitution applications received by his Department to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27111/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine launched a Reconstitution of Woodland scheme to address frost damage earlier this year. The scheme was set up due to significant late spring frost events which took place during May 2019, May 2020, and May 2021.
The scheme was established to reconstitute newly planted forests significantly damaged by these frost events and replacing dead trees with plants of acceptable quality, provenances and species. It is also to provide for remedial pruning of damaged crops where damage is significant but not severe enough to warrant full replacement of stems.
The scheme is open to private forest owners who planted during the period between 1st November 2017 and 1st June 2021 and whose entire plantations sustained a minimum of 30% losses are eligible to apply under the Scheme.
My Department has received 142 applications in the Reconstitution of Woodland Scheme (Frost) to date and the closing date for applications has been extended to Friday 31th May. We have committed in our 2022 Licensing Plan to delivering most of the approvals for this scheme this year.
Full scheme details are available on gov.ie - Schemes and Payments (www.gov.ie).
