Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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702. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Ireland opted to take forestry out of its rural development programme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30056/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s Forestry Programme 2014-2020 was approved by the Government and secured State Aid approval from the European Commission in 2015. The programme was developed in accordance with a number of EU and National policy and regulatory requirements:

1. European Union Guidelines on State Aid for agriculture and forestry and in rural areas 2014 to 2020 addressing in particular the Common Assessment Principles;

2. Regulation (EU) no 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);

3. European Commission's Guidelines for Strategic Programming for the period 2014-2020;

4. Foodwise 2025;

5. COFORD’s Forests, products and people – Ireland’s forest policy – a renewed vision; 

Ireland’s forestry schemes were co-financed by the EU until 2006 under the CAP Rural Development Programme, but since then have been 100% funded by the Exchequer. The 2007 to 2013 RDP only allowed a reduced establishment grant rate (max 80% of costs) which represented a significant shift in policy and in payment levels from what was historically available.

Ireland has the second lowest level of forestry cover in the EU at 11% where the average cover is 38%.  Given this low level of forest cover in Ireland, our need to expand our forest estate and the need to make available incentives that would convince farmers to plant their land it was decided that the type of scheme implementable through RDP 2007-2013 would not be capable of delivering an effective afforestation programme in Ireland. Accordingly it was decided to seek State Aid approval to deliver an exchequer-funded forestry programme in Ireland from 2007.

The Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 limited forestry premiums paid for planting to 12 years compared to the 20-year premiums paid in the preceding programme.  This would have had a significant impact on forestry planting levels in Ireland. Accordingly the State Aid approval route was used again for the 2014-2020 Programme in order to provide sufficient incentives for landowners to plant trees on their land.