Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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394. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated additional cost to the Exchequer based on 2017 participation and planting rates to implement a proposal (details supplied) over a full year. [20051/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The current forestry programme does not differentiate between a “farmer” and “non-farmer” but targets funding at all landowners who wish to convert lands to forestry. It's important to note that the non-farmer category also includes recently retired farmers and the family members of existing farmers. I have no plans to change the current situation and will continue to pay the same premium under the current programme to all landowners to ensure that the maximum amount of land is available for afforestation.

In relation to the Deputy’s proposal to re-introduce the farmer premium differential and using his example to increase the premium for GPC3 from the premium rate of €510 in 2017 to €850/ha for farmers, the additional estimated expenditure for GPC3 would be approximately €843,200 per year.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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395. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated additional cost to the Exchequer based on 2017 participation and planting rates on implementing a proposal (details supplied) over a full year. [20052/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Most productive marginal land is already eligible for planting and many farmers avail of the generous grants and premiums on offer to plant this land. There are some restrictions on planting land in designated areas and other environmentally sensitive areas. There is also a restriction on the proportion of unenclosed land, Grant Premium Category 1(GPC1) planted, capped at 20% in any one application.

My Department paid for planting of 48.80 hectares of land under GPC1 in 2017. Based on that level of planting, the Deputy's proposal to increase grants and premiums for this category would result in an increase in expenditure of approximately €60,000 per year.