Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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463. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding forestry groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9873/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The aim of the Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Schemes is to provide participating private forest owners with the knowledge they require to actively manage their own forest, mobilise their timber resource, and secure a valuable income from the crop in the market. All private forest owners are eligible to participate, irrespective of their forest currently being grant funded under the Forestry Programmes or not. Participants set their own learning agenda, led by a facilitator who is a professional forester. All private forest owners are eligible to participate in groups, irrespective of whether their forest is grant funded.

I am pleased to confirm that I opened this year’s Forestry KTG Scheme on 27th May 2020 following the successful implementation of the scheme in 2018 and 2019. Applications to establish and run a national network of Knowledge Transfer Groups are now invited from forestry groups, forestry companies and individual forestry professionals. Once approval has issued by the Department, successful applicants will then invite forest owners to take part in the group they are running.

In accordance with the Scheme’s Terms and Conditions, each Knowledge Transfer Group can have a maximum of 20 participants. The minimum number of participants per KTG is 10. This means that an Organiser can apply for 2 KTGs with 10 participants each. Organisers should bear in mind that the average attendance over the seven meetings/events must be 10 or more in order to qualify for the full organiser payment where one or two KTGs are being organised as part of a KTG Application.

Approved KTG Organisers can receive a payment of up to €6,500 for each group they facilitate. Participants are eligible to receive €70 per meeting attended, provided they have participated in at least 4 of the 7 KTG meetings and events.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government currently has measures in place which will be subject to updates and modifications over the coming months. The purpose of launching the scheme now is to allow time for organisers to recruit members to their groups, with a view to commencing meetings later in the year in line with the public health guidelines. The scheme will, of course, be kept under review in light of those guidelines.