Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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347. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who planted and afforested in each of the previous five years to GLAS, that is, 2010 to 2014, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35037/21]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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352. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that planted and afforested in each year for the duration of REPS in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35060/21]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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370. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that planted and afforested in each year for the duration of AEOS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35105/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 347, 352 and 370 together.

The Department publishes a range of statistics on its website, including a breakdown of farmer/non-farmer applicants. Whilst there is data for the five years preceding GLAS i.e. 2010 to 2015, the Department does not have full data for farmer participation in forestry for all the years the Rural Environmental Scheme (REPS) and the Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS) were in place i.e. 1994 to 2016, as this information is only available from 2009.

Statistics are available for the Forestry Environmental Protection Scheme (FEPS) which opened in 2007 and was available only to farmers who were also participants in REPS. These figures are shown below but this would not represent all farmers with forestry in the years 2007 and 2008.

Farmer participants in the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme from 2009 to 2020:

Number of participants in FEPS (farmers only) in 2007 and 2008:

In terms of GLAS, applicants had the option of choosing parcels for GLAS and also the opportunity to join the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme on other parcels. The GLAS terms and conditions outline that afforestation is fully compatible with GLAS and is recognised as contributing to the creation of a valuable landscape mosaic at farm-level. The Scheme also had the “Planting a Grove of Native Trees” action which has been chosen by over 3,600 farmers and resulted in the planting of over 1.5 million trees.

It is clear that there has been a decline in farmer participation in forestry in recent years. There could be many reasons for this as farmers have many options open to them to manage their land, including the lease or sale of lands. Non-farmer applicants may also be a relative of a deceased farmer, who have chosen to plant inherited land instead of continuing to farm.

Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for forestry, I am anxious that farmers re-engage with forestry and acknowledge that current licensing difficulties are likely a contributory factor in terms of reduced interest. This is a priority issue for me and the Department and is being dealt under Project Woodland.

Furthermore, the Department is working to ensure that there is integration between Agri-Environment schemes in CAP and the new Forestry Programme. It is intended that tree planting measures will form part of the new Agri-Environment schemes. The transitional REAP scheme (a results-based payment approach for grasslands) has, for instance, complementary tree-planting actions.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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348. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of unique farmer applicants for the REPS per year while it was in operation or since its launch in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35038/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The attached table shows the number of unique farmer applicants per year for all REPS schemes (ie; REPS 1, 2, 3 and 4).

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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349. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the application by a person (details supplied) to the REAP scheme will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35039/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Project (REAP) is an ambitious, farmer-friendly environmental project designed to test the results based approach on a variety of farm types. The project will feed into the development of the next national agri-environment scheme. REAP is designed to focus on key learning objectives for participants and their advisors.

As REAP was oversubscribed, a ranking and selection process was used to assess applications. This process considered the presence of priority water areas, (as defined by the EPA), and the proportion of Natura and ANC land on the holding. The application of the person named scored less than the minimum score set for consideration for entry. The details of the selection process are listed in section 10 of the REAP terms and conditions.

Letters have now issued to all REAP applicants advising on the outcome of their application. Any farmer who receives notification to state their application has been unsuccessful may request a review of this decision by writing to the REAP section at the Department. Full details of the review option and contact details have been provided in the correspondence that has issued.