Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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1109. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants or members of the REAP scheme who have applied for afforestation approval under the afforestation grant and premium scheme during February 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13925/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) is designed to trial the results-based approach on a national basis and to test the upscaling potential of the model for inclusion in the next national agri-environment scheme to follow GLAS. REAP incentivises farmers to maintain and improve the environmental condition of their land.

While parcels brought into REAP may not be converted to forestry during the term of the REAP contract, afforestation is fully compatible with REAP. REAP participants are subject to a maximum land area of 10ha for individual farmers and 30ha for partnerships of three farm holdings. The average REAP area under management per participant is 8.4ha.

It is important to note that REAP is not a whole-of-farm project and that afforestation opportunities continue to exist for REAP participants on parcels that have not been selected for the project. Of the 29 afforestation approvals in February, I can confirm that one of these was a REAP participant.