Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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332. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date that his Department began discussions with the nursery sector in relation to next forestry programme which is due to commence on 1 January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58582/22]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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334. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional native species required by nurseries in adjusting from 15% to 20% mandatory broadleaves on conifer sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58584/22]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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335. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated surpluses of sitka spruce already in nursery production as a result of reducing the sitka spruce component by 5% on commercial afforestation sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58585/22]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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336. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the length of time that it will take nurseries to produce plants in order to meet planting requirements of the various forestry types set out in the forestry strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58586/22]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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337. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the financial implications for nurseries have been considered by his Department given that there is no phasing-in or phasing-out period for their crops prior to the commencement for the new programme which was announced in November, and due to commence in January; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58587/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332, 334, 335, 336 and 337 together.

As the Deputy may be aware, my Department has recently published a Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 which was informed by a series of extensive engagements and consultations.

This vision has informed a new Forestry Strategy for Ireland, which has been developed through Project Woodland. An extensive public consultation process on the new Strategy has taken place including bilateral stakeholder meetings early in 2022 which included the nursery sector and Forest Industries Ireland who represent the sector.

In parallel, a draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan has also been developed to facilitate the initial steps in the implementation of this Forest Strategy. This Plan comprises a list of actions and measures and includes the Forestry Programme for the period 2023-2027, which will be the main implementation vehicle for the Forest Strategy in the immediate to short term.

The Department held bilateral meetings with Forest Industry Ireland on the new Forestry Programme and also held a workshop for Forestry Policy Group members in July 2022, including members from the nursery sector to discuss proposed measures and interventions.

The importance of having a sustainable supply of plants and forest reproductive material is recognised in the Draft Forest Strategy and within its Implementation Plan. Action 49 in the draft Plan includes the introduction of support schemes to increase the quality and quantity of plants and forest reproductive material. The implementation of this action is accounted for in the Draft Forestry Programme under Intervention 1 (Forest Creation: FT3 Seed Orchards), Intervention 3 (Investment Aid for the Development of the Forest Tree Nursery Sector) and Intervention 4 (Sustainable Forest Management: Seed Stand Management). Taken together these support schemes aim to increase the quantity and quality of plants and reproductive material for use in the forest sector.

The draft Forest Strategy and Forest Strategy Implementation Plan were published on Tuesday the 18th of October and are now subject to an ongoing six-week public consultation process which concludes on the 29th of November 2022 and submissions on these documents are welcome.

The COFORD Council and its working groups are key stakeholder platforms for Irish forestry. The COFORD Council is an advisory body appointed by the Minister to advise on matters relating to forestry and includes a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from the two largest forest tree nurseries. The COFORD Council established a sub-group called the Forest Genetic Resources Working Group and its membership includes forest tree nurseries, Teagasc, National Botanic Gardens, University College Dublin, Woodland of Ireland, Northern Ireland Forest Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service and is chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In December 2020, the COFORD Council published their work in their report called “Sustainable Development and Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources 2020-2030”. This report identifies key recommendations, including an analysis of the existing forest reproductive material supply needs, likely future trends and barriers to future supply for the period 2020 - 2030.

I am pleased to advise that I have secured a package of €1.3 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland. As the Deputy is aware the afforestation target outlined in the draft Forestry Programme remains at 8,000 ha. This target is consistent with the Climate Action Plan 2021, and the current Forestry Programme (2014-2020, extended to end 2022). As I understand it producing plants takes up to approximately three years before they are ready for planting.

Trees numbers required will depend on the take up of any particular measure and will be based on our existing stocking rates of 2,500 per hectare for conifers and 3,300 trees per hectare for most broadleaves. With low planting rates in recent years, it is forecast that demand will grow over the course of the Programme and this will be a positive development for the nursery sector. We engage regularly with the representative body for the forestry sector on all relevant issues and will continue to do so. Of key importance will be the need to work together to build momentum and increase afforestation rates.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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333. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date that his Department started discussions with the nursery sector in relation to the proposed ACRES scheme which is due to commence on 1 January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58583/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the agri-environment climate measure under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 – 2027.

The Department engaged extensively with all stakeholders in relation to the development of Ireland’s CSP. The CAP Consultative Committee was established in May 2019 to allow stakeholders express their views and remain updated as the CAP reform discussions progress.

The Committee met on 33 Occasions, which included thematic workshops on the Green Architecture and proposed interventions, one of which was the agri-environment climate measure, now known as ACRES. Meeting documents and presentations were subsequently published on my Department’s website at: CAP Post 2020 Consultative Committee.

The Department also arranged a series of townhall meetings as well as public consultations to provide as much information as possible and for stakeholder input, including three virtual townhall meetings on 10, 11 and 12 August 2021 and fourteen Information Sessions held nationwide in February and March 2022.

Representatives from the relevant Divisions in the Department also held over a hundred meetings with various representative organisations. The Divisions dealing specifically with the development of ACRES met with Forest Industries Ireland, a group which brings together companies from across the forest sector including nurseries, in September and November 2021.

As both eco-schemes and ACRES offer tree planting options, my Department issued ‘Trader Notice No.12 of 2021 – Tree and hedgerow planting proposed under CAP 2023-2027’ in December 2021. The purpose of this notice was to update the industry on the proposed schemes and to advise on the anticipated strong farmer demand for trees and hedging plants over the period 2023- 2027.

This notice advised that tree/hedgerow planting under ACRES was expected to commence in the 2023-2024 planting season and provided estimates of the number and species of trees and hedging plants that may be required by farmers participating in the Scheme.

Draft specifications for ACRES were subsequently published in August 2022 which again listed the eligible species for the tree-planting and hedgerow actions, with the final Specifications published in early October 2022.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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338. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the exact methodology applied by his Department in determining a 20% forestry grant increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58589/22]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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340. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the difference in rates for afforestation grants in the next forestry programme between that contained in a report (details supplied) and the rates as recently published by the Forest Service of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58591/22]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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346. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Forest Service of his Department is meeting an academic (details supplied) following their published report, particularly in connection to afforestation grant rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58610/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 338, 340 and 346 together.

I can advise the Deputy that a number of meetings have taken place with the academic in question.

A meeting took place this week between Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) officials and stakeholders, including this academic, in relation to afforestation grant rates.

The Deputies will be aware that DAFM has secured funding of €1.3 billion for the Forestry programme 2023-2027. This will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme ever in Ireland and provides unprecedented incentives to encourage the planting of trees that can provide a valuable addition to farm income and help to meet national climate and biodiversity objectives.

Increases in premiums for planting trees from between 46% to 66% are proposed along with a longer term of 20 years for farmers. Grant rates for forest establishment are also showing increases around 20%. It is hoped that these substantial increases will incentivise behavioural change and re-engage landowners and farmers in particular with forestry.

DAFM was mindful of cost-of-living pressures in determining both grant and premium levels whilst working within the parameters and framework of the public expenditure code. In setting rates., DAFM's decisions were underpinned by the Coford report, “Economic Activity and Employment levels in the Irish forest Sector”. The setting of the grant rates considered the various operations, labour, costs and overheads involved in the establishment of forests. The DAFM grant rates do not include fencing grants or the Environmental report grant which will be announced shortly. Both payments are additional to the basic grant rate and the entire grant package is a significant support measure for landowners and in turn those working in the sector.

The grant and premium package was formulated to optimise the incentivisation of tree planting and deliver on climate action targets and has the potential to deliver economies of scale to the forest industry. Cost benefit analysis of the new Grant and premium rates shows a very attractive rate of return, most especially for farmers, and heralds a new and exciting period for forestry in Ireland. The new Forestry Programme will drive a new and brighter future for forestry, for farmers and for our climate. The new Forestry Strategy (2023 -2030) and the Programme 2023-2027 provides an unprecedented opportunity for DAFM, the forest industry and stakeholders to promote, encourage and facilitate forestry as a realistic, attractive and profitable land use option and deliver significant societal benefits.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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339. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the recently announced €1.3 billion forestry allocation includes premium supports for farmers who must replace dead or rotten ash trees affected by Ash dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58590/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently via the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) introduced in July 2020.

The current scheme provides 100% grant aid to landowners to clear their ash crop, replant with an alternate species and manage their forest until successfully established. For sites undergoing reconstitution, Forest Owners are able to choose to replant with a number of proposed Forest Types and the grant rates offered correspond to the equivalent rate offered in the Afforestation Scheme. If Forest Owners are still in receipt of premiums for their forests through the Afforestation Scheme they are paid at the premium rate that is equivalent to the Forest Type that they opt to replant with.

As the Deputy has mentioned, I have secured a package of €1.318 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland. It is intended to continue to offer the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme through the next Forestry Programme which will cover the period from 2023-2027, and as Deputies will be aware the Programme is currently undergoing public consultation as part of the SEA/AA process and is open for submissions until 29th November 2022. I have, of course, met with landowners whose forests have ash dieback and I am more than aware of their concerns and I will continue to work to address them.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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341. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the annual afforestation target as published recently for the next forestry programme is in line with COFORD recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58592/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The COFORD Council is a stakeholder platform which advises my Department on issues related to the development of the forest sector in Ireland. In its recent report ‘Forests and wood products, and its importance in climate change mitigation’ COFORD advised that 16,000 ha of annual afforestation is required if Ireland is to achieve the government target of 18% forest cover by 2050.

As the Deputy may be aware, afforestation levels have been declining in recent years and Project Woodland was established in February 2021 to ensure that a new impetus is brought to woodland creation in Ireland. We have recently published a Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050 which was informed by a series of extensive engagements and consultation. This Vision has informed a new Forestry Strategy for Ireland which has been developed by Working Group 2 of Project Woodland.

In parallel, a draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan has also been developed to facilitate the initial steps in the implementation of the Forest Strategy. This Plan comprises a list of actions and measures and includes the Forestry Programme for the period 2023-2027 which will be the main implementation vehicle for the Forest Strategy in the immediate to short term.

As the Deputy is aware, the draft Forest Strategy and Forest Strategy Implementation Plan were published on Tuesday 18th October and are now subject to an ongoing 6-week public consultation process, which will conclude on 29th November.

Supports are proposed in the next Forestry Programme to incentivise afforestation, with an annual target of 8,000ha broken down by indicative areas associated with each of the 12 proposed Forest Types. This is in line with the target of 8,000 hectares in the Climate Action Plan 2021, which is a detailed plan for taking decisive action to achieve a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and setting Ireland on a path to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. The successor to this plan, a new Climate Action Plan 2023 is currently under development.

I am committed to working with all our stakeholders to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade. I am pleased to advise that I have secured a package of €1.318 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme ever to date in Ireland and which will allow us to offer new and improved rates to those who undertake planting and sustainable forest management under this new Programme.

Please note that afforestation is a voluntary land use choice for landowners. Any target that is set must be realistic and we have set an ambitious 8,000ha target which is a significant step up from the existing levels achieved in recent years. However, it is my intention to introduce a programme which will deliver for society, for landowners and for the forestry sector in Ireland. A comprehensive and well-subscribed forestry programme has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for climate change, biodiversity, wood production, economic development and quality of life.