Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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485. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a forestry payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47682/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The person named was approved for an afforestation contract in January 2012. The second grant payment application from the person named was received by my Department in November 2017. On receipt of this payment application, an assessment of the plantation was carried out by the relevant District Inspector. A series of shortcomings in relation to adherence with the scheme’s silvicultural requirements was identified as part of the inspection and was communicated to the person named and their forestry company in December 2017 for remedial action to be completed no later than by 26th July 2019. The remedial works required were not related to any flooding incident, but were solely related to silvicultural requirements that apply to the afforestation scheme.

In October 2018, the applicant’s forestry company informed my Department that all remedial works had been completed. A subsequent assessment was carried out by the District Inspector in October 2018. The Inspector advised that the site was not up to the required silvicultural standard and that there were still remedial works outstanding to be carried out. My Department informed the applicant and his forestry company of the outstanding remedial works on 7th November 2018.

The Afforestation Scheme Terms and Conditions specify that second instalment grants will be paid only when the entire plantation is up to the required standard.  If part of the plantation fails inspection, payment may be withheld on the entire area until the remedial works are carried out and the plantation established. In addition, the Terms and Conditions also set out that the 7th and all subsequent annual premium payments must be withheld until the second instalment grant has been paid. The person named was notified of the scheme’s terms and conditions when signing up to the grant scheme and in all subsequent correspondence from my Department.