Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I want to raise the issue of ash dieback, which is of deep concern to farmers, landowners and rural communities across Ireland. Ash dieback is not just a crisis for forestry; it is an environmental, economic and cultural disaster. For generations, ash trees have been a defining feature of our landscape, vital to biodiversity and central to our rural heritage. Since its introduction, the disease has devastated our woodlands and up to 90% of our ash trees are expected to succumb to it over the next couple of years.

The Government has put grant support in place for landowners who have ash plantations but these supports are deeply flawed. As the grants are paid in stage payments rather then upfront, farmers are expected to shoulder the financial burden of felling and replanting ash trees before they can claim any assistance. This is entirely unrealistic for many landowners, particularly small farmers who do not have the financial reserves to absorb these costs. The landowners are being asked to take on substantial debt just to access the support they are supposedly entitled to. This is not a workable solution. Furthermore, there is a glaring gap in the current system. Landowners who have ash trees in their hedgerows but did not plant them under the formal forestry scheme are completely excluded from any support. These farmers did not plant their ash trees under a Government contract. They planted them as part of responsible land management, maintaining biodiversity and contributing to our rural environment. Yet, when these trees succumb to ash dieback, they are left entirely on their own – no grants, no compensation and no recognition of the loss they have suffered.

This is not acceptable. The response to ash dieback must be fair and inclusive. If we are serious about tackling this crisis, we must reform the grant system so that financial supports are provided upfront, not in staged payments that place undue financial strain on farmers, and so that landowners with ash trees in hedgerows on their land, regardless of whether they were planted under a formal forestry scheme, are included in any support measures.

The Government has a responsibility to stand by rural communities in times of crisis. Ash dieback is one such crisis, and it demands a response that is both practical and fair. I urge the Minister of State to take this back to the Minister for agriculture to act now to revise the grant system and support all affected landowners to ensure no farmer is left out of pocket due to circumstances beyond their control.