Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
300. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what impact the low level of afforestation licences issued for 2023 will have on Ireland's environmental and climate targets; if his Department plans to increase the number of afforestation licences issued for the remainder of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33302/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022. The new Programme will benefit farmers, rural communities and contribute to our overall climate and environmental targets.
The new Programme is subject to State Aid approval from the EU Commission. It is also subject to an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment process, which is well advanced. The previous State Aid Guidelines in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas expired on 31 December 2022 and have now been replaced with a revised version as of 01 January 2023.
The introduction of these revised guidelines meant that a formal application for State Aid could not have been submitted to the European Commission until the revised guidelines were in place, i.e. before January 2023.
Once State Aid approval has been granted, the Strategic Environmental Assessment can then be finalised, after incorporating any relevant outcomes of this process.
It is important to note that that no new grant aided licence approvals can issue under these or any other schemes until the appropriate environmental processes have been concluded, however all grant aided licence applications currently in the system will continue to be progressed up to the point of approval so that they can transition into the new Programme as seamlessly as possible when it opens.
In recognition of the need for planting activity to continue during the State Aid assessment of the Forestry Programme, my Department engaged with the Commission last December to secure an interim solution. This led to the introduction of an Interim Afforestation Scheme, an Interim Forest Road Scheme and an interim Ash Dieback Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (All via General De Minimis).
This ensured that those with valid licence approvals issued before the end of 2022, could avail of the current planting season under the higher grant and premium rates proposed to be paid under the new Forestry Programme.
Extensive work has been undertaken by the Department in this area and to date this year, a total of 288 applications have been approved under the interim Afforestation scheme (via general de minimis) representing 1,752 hectares. Under the interim roads scheme 119 approvals have issued representing 54,859 metres. While, under the interim RUS scheme 23 approvals have issued for 83.75 hectares.
Of the 1,752 hectares approved in 2023 for afforestation under the interim afforestation scheme, we have received indication that almost 1,195 hectares of planting has completed, and planting has commenced on a further area of 261 hectares.
In relation to the afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year as set out in the Climate Action Plan, the new increased premium rates and extended period of 20 year payments to farmers will, I expect, engage landowners, farmers in particular, and realise the land-use change needed.
I would like to assure the Deputy, that the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is a matter of the utmost priority. A comprehensive and well-subscribed Forestry Programme has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for climate change, biodiversity, wood production, economic development and quality of life.
