Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1108. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 2004 of 24 March 2021, the number of hectares issued in financial approvals by the Forestry Service from 1 January to 31 December 2020, on form 1As; the number of hectares that were planted from the financial approvals issued during the same timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21144/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department offers a generous suite of establishment grants and annual premiums under the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme, with grant and premium categories and species to suit most land types. At present, there is 4,300 ha of land approved to plant forestry where planting has not yet commenced. I encourage anyone that has an approved afforestation site, to arrange financial approval and to go ahead and plant. That way, they can avail of the annual premiums. Financial approval is a straightforward process that usually only takes a few days and is arranged by the landowner’s Registered Forester.

Some 2,488 new hectares were planted in 2020. From 1^stJanuary to 31^stDecember, 2020, the  Department issued financial approval for 304 sites, totalling 2,355 ha.  A total of 271 of those sites have advised my Department that planting has been completed for an area of 1,889 ha. Thirteen financial approvals were withdrawn for an area of 77 ha, with 20 contracts outstanding at 389 ha. Some of these sites were approved in late December, with an expiry date of 31^stMarch, 2021, so it may well be the case that planting has gone ahead, but documentation is awaited by the Department.