Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1131. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a forestry proposal as set out in a report has been examined (details supplied); and the associated full-year cost of introducing such a scheme. [18479/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has introduced a number of measures over the last year to raise public awareness of the range of services provided by forests and measures to encourage forest owners to adopt actions to promote ecosystem services to improve water quality, biodiversity and habitat protection. These measures include:

- A promotion and educational programme with Teagasc.

- The Woodland Environmental Scheme targeted at companies who wish to engage in environmental projects as part of their corporate social responsibility policies which will provide additional funding to encourage landowners to plant native broadleaf trees and which attract an additional once off payment of €1,000 per hectare.

- A Continuous Cover Forestry scheme to encourage landowners to consider limited but regular felling rather than a clearfell harvesting system.

- Woodlands for Water to create new native woodlands to protect and enhance Ireland’s waters.

My colleague, Minister of State Andrew Doyle, also issued a call for promotions earlier this year to encourage initiatives which will highlight the multifunctional benefits of forestry, promote planting of more trees and encourage sustainable forest management. A total of 40 proposals were received of which 15 were approved. These will now be implemented with almost €830,000 in funding in 2019 and 2020 and are expected to raise public awareness and raise appreciation of our woodlands.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1132. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a forestry proposal as set out in a report has been examined (details supplied); and the associated full-year cost of facilitating this proposal. [18480/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Carbon Navigator is an online system that supports farmers and their advisors in reducing the carbon intensity of dairy and beef farms. In recognition of the important role forestry plays in removing carbon from the atmosphere and reducing overall emissions at farm level, my Department has funded the development of a forestry element in the next version of the Carbon Navigator.

The inclusion of forestry in the next iteration of this tool will provide users with generalised figures in relation to forestry carbon abatement potential. This in turn will help deliver a strong message from a policy perspective on the positive environmental impact that forestry and trees on the farm can provide. The work to incorporate this is currently being undertaken by Teagasc with a view to its release in the next iteration of the navigator. This is being funded directly by my Department.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1133. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated full-year cost of forestry proposals (details supplied) in tabular form. [18481/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Based on 2018 afforestation levels, reverting to 2009 premium rates would cost €38,503,355.63. This is €5,793,454.88 more than if current rates were used. These additional costs are shown in the table below.

table cont.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1134. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a forestry proposal as set out in a report has been examined (details supplied); and the estimated associated full-year cost of facilitating this proposal. [18482/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is aware of this proposal and has raised the matter with the European Commission. There are current environmental constraints in place which do not allow for the proposal to be implemented.

It is my Department's position that there is a scientific rationale laid out in the Land types for Afforestation document for planting on land classified as GPC 1. Furthermore, the Environmental Requirements for Afforestation focused on consolidating all relevant safeguards into a single coherent document dealing exclusively with afforestation, and takes onboard more recent developments in relation to regulation, research and changes in forest practices. We will continue to explore the matter and possible options for the effective use of GPC 1 land.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1135. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has explored the following forestry proposal as set out in a report (details supplied); and the associated full-year cost of facilitating this proposal. [18483/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The current Forestry Programme 2014-2020 secured State aid approval from the European Commission in 2015. This State aid approval did not include aid for reforestation.

Recommendations outlined in the report referred to could be considered in the context of the next Forestry Programme 2021 - 2027, which would take account of relevant State Aid rules and other considerations concerning the allocation of funding.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1136. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if participants in afforestation schemes under the Forestry Programme 2014-2020 are also eligible to apply for both the basic payment scheme and GLAS for land that is planted. [18484/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Participants in the afforestation scheme are eligible to apply for the basic payment scheme, provided that the afforested land meets the following requirements:

- The land to be afforested was declared on a 2008 SPS application form;

- The applicant who declared that land on a 2008 SPS application form was paid under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme;

- The land to be afforested was eligible to draw down an SPS payment in 2008.

- The afforested land meets all the requirements of the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme 2014 -2020.

If the applicant is a new entrant to farming, the minimum area to be retained in an agricultural activity will be fixed by the Department on a case by case basis. Applicants who wish to benefit from the Basic Payment on afforested land must be the person or persons in joint management or in receipt of an afforestation premium. This applies to members of the same family. The afforested land must meet all the requirements of the Afforestation Scheme. Eligible forestry parcels that are declared on BPS applications to activateentitlementswill also be subject to cross-compliance requirements.

As GLAS is not a whole farm scheme, afforestation can be carried out on land which is not subject to agri-environment actions under the Scheme.