Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The current ash dieback scheme has been in place for just over a year. It was initiated in June of last year. There have been a number of applications. I believe we had 365 applicants to that scheme in the year. In the last week, we issued a change to the scheme. It was previously limited to plantations of under 25 years of age. It was a year ago that plantations of more than 25 years had a significant commercial value and it was not warranted. It has since become more apparent, through engagement with forest owners and ash plantation owners, that this is not the case. We have changed it and the scheme has now been extended to plantations of more than 25 years of age.

The total area of ash planted in the country is approximately 14,000 ha. That includes those older plantations. From the commentary I have read in newspapers and on different forestry groups, this increase to more than 25 years for the ash dieback scheme seems to have been welcomed

That is good.

We must have a wider conversation about ash as well because this issue goes beyond the 14,000 ha planted as part of the forestry programme. Ash accounts for most of the trees in our hedgerows and a large proportion of fully-grown trees on our farms, including Senator Lombard's and mine. Ash trees are a significant landscape feature around the country and along roadsides. It is not only culturally significant but also an important tree species for carbon sequestration and storage, biodiversity, etc. Nearly all our ash trees will be affected by ash dieback, so we must have a serious conversation about ash. I will explore that as well.