Written answers

Thursday, 10 February 2022

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Common Agricultural Policy

Photo of Rose Conway-WalshRose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to publish the CAP Strategic Plan in view of the fact that 16 other European Union member states have done so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6941/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland's draft CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period 2023-2027 was submitted to the European Commission on 31st December 2021. I am pleased to say that we were one of eighteen Member States to meet the regulatory deadline for submission of 1st January 2022. A copy of the draft CSP was shared last week with the CAP Stakeholder Consultative Committee, and was made available on my Department's website.

The formal EU approval process is now under way. The Commission will assess the draft Plan through extensive inter-service consultation, and based on the criteria laid down in the relevant regulations. It has three months to make formal observations, and we expect to receive its formal observation letter in late March/early April 2022. My officials will, of course, engage closely with the Commission as required throughout the approval process over the coming months.

I consider that the plan strikes an appropriate balance between the needs and demands of all stakeholders - of which there are many - and the need to secure approval from the European Commission, including in relation to the level of environmental and climate ambition to be attained.

The Department is also preparing the necessary administrative and IT systems that will underpin the new programming period from 2023.

This is complex work, with many new elements, including the extensive reporting requirements under the new performance framework. There is also a lot of work to be done in communicating the changes that will be introduced under the Plan to the farming community and other stakeholders, with whom we will continue to work closely as we move towards implementation of the plan in 2023.

The key is to ensure that crucial payments will be made on time to farm families in 2023.

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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168. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he has taken to ensure that afforestation opportunities are absolutely maximised through the next CAP in order to reverse the current trend. [7059/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The planting of trees has the potential to play a significant part in our environmental priorities especially water quality, biodiversity and climate. As outlined in the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) tree planting actions have been included in both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. The new Eco-Scheme (Pillar 1) includes a tree planting option as part of the menu of options that farmers can choose from.

The Pillar II Agri-Environment Climate Measure (AECM) includes significant tree planting actions for specific objectives, such as riparian buffers for water quality, in belts for ammonia capture near the farmyard or in rows, groups or as parkland.

In addition, the AECM actions also include a farm sustainability review in which farmers can discuss a plan for their whole farm, including the identification of areas suitable for tree planting. In cases where farmers show an interest in planting trees on an area exceeding 0.1ha, the individual farmer will be encouraged to consider entering the afforestation scheme under the National Forestry Programme.

As the Deputy may be aware, a national shared vision for the future of Ireland's trees and forests and a new Forestry Strategy are currently being developed as part of the work carried out in Project Woodland. This new Forest Strategy will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027. An extensive public consultation process on the new strategy has commenced and I would encourage anyone interested in forestry to participate in this process.

The new Forestry Programme will be 100% exchequer funded and will be subject to State aid approval by the European Commission. The programme will aim to support significant levels of afforestation in line with the targets set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021, and this will be complemented by tree planting measures under the CAP Strategic Plan

I would also like to point out that I recently secured cabinet approval to bring about changes to the Forestry Act 2014 which will make it easier to plant small areas of native trees, up to 1ha. The amendment to the Act will enable my Department to increase native tree planting as part of a scheme, which farmers will be eligible to apply for, by removing the requirement for an afforestation license for areas up to 1 ha. The proposed changes have just completed report stage in the Dail and have now been referred to the Seanad.

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