Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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660. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are grants available from his Department or bodies and agencies under his remit that provide grant funding towards the costs of planting land for forestry, biodiversity and beekeeping (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7527/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides generous grants to landowners who wish to plant forestry through the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme. The Scheme provides 100% of establishment grants with annual premiums for up to 15 years, depending on the species chosen. Landowners considering forestry should contact a registered forester who will complete the application on their behalf. Further information is available on my Department’s website, including rates payable and a list of registered foresters.

A wide variety of schemes are specifically focussed on the establishment and management of forests that deliver significant biodiversity benefits. The Native Woodland Establishment Scheme supports the planting of new native woodland and the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme aims to conserve existing native woodland and help to convert conifer stands to native woodland at key locations. In addition, the Woodland Environmental Fund, launched in 2018, encourages businesses to get involved in encouraging private landowners to take up the Native Woodland Establishment Scheme. Business provide a ‘top up’ payment of €1,000/ha to the landowner as a further incentive to convert from agriculture to native woodland. So far, Microsoft, Aldi, Lidl, An Post, Accenture and KBI Global Investment have participated in the fund.

Support measures for the sustainable management of forests, with the added benefit of increasing biodiversity, are also funded by my Department. The Continuous Cover Forestry scheme redirects plantations away from the 'normal' clear fell / reforestation model and into continuous cover forestry. As trees are felled singly or in small groups (typically with smaller machinery) and the gaps left are planted up or fill in with natural regeneration, the overall canopy cover is left intact, protecting the soil and the woodland ecosystem. The Woodland Improvement Thinning and Tending Scheme for broadleaves aims to improve the quality and value of retained trees by removing poorer quality stems and redirecting growth onto better quality ones. This delivers a biodiversity benefit as it will open up the canopy and allow increased levels of light infiltration onto the forest floor, encouraging ground vegetation and the scrub understory. This increase in habitat biodiversity leads to more insects and birds in these more diverse habitats. Protection of this grounded vegetation and scrub layer is further supported by the Deer Fencing Scheme. Excluding deer also allows the natural regeneration of trees and scrubs, as seed falling onto the site can germinate and become established, which increases the woodland biodiversity generally.

My Department recognises the important role bees play within agriculture and for biodiversity as both pollinators and honey producers, by providing a range of supports and initiatives to encourage and assist beekeepers and the beekeeping associations.

Support to the beekeeping sector in Ireland is provided through the National Apiculture Programme, which provides funding to carry out applied research for the Irish apiculture sector. The Commercial Horticulture grant aid scheme provides grant aid towards capital investments in specialised beekeeping equipment and also contributes annual grants to Irish National Beekeepers associations to help their associated members and branches to pursue the craft of beekeeping to the highest standards and to also inform the general public about the environmental role that bees play in maintaining Irish biodiversity and crop production. Owners of native woodland are also encouraged to contact local bee-keepers and to offer to 'host-a-hive' within their woodland.