Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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178. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions that he intends to take to resolve lengthy delays in processing and fulfilling reconstitution and underplanting scheme applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61172/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Ash dieback disease was first found in Ireland in late 2012 and is now found throughout the country.

The year-on-year spread and impact of the disease on ash, one of our most important native broadleaves is expected to increase whether ash is found in a forest, hedgerow or roadside.  The landscape, cultural, ecological and economic impact will be significant.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has taken a number of significant steps in response to this experience, including the publication of its Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy, the establishment of a new area of expertise in DAFM in Pest Risk Analysis and in financial support to growers impacted to allow them to remove infected ash and replace it with other suitable species.

I understand that a small percentage of the ash population thought to be 1%-2% may be disease tolerant and DAFM has, and continues to, support a number of research initiatives

A total of over €7 million in support has been provided by DAFM to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS – Ash dieback) introduced in July 2020. 

Applications for the scheme are received regularly and decisions are issued as soon as the assessment of the applications are complete.

Since the commencement of the RUS – Ash dieback scheme, and up to 2 December this year, a total of 941 applications have been received. Of this total, 368 have been approved and one refused. 572 remain on hand which are at various stages of the approval process.

Many of these applications are screened in for Appropriate Assessment and are referred to ecology, and any of these applications that propose replacing the ash crop with conifer species currently require planning permission.

The introduction of the legislation to remove the requirement for planning permission for Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme projects less than 10ha in size that involve the replacement of broadleaf high forest with conifer species is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 

I am informed that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage completed their internal environmental assessment of the legislation just last week, which is one of the final steps in the process before publication.

It appears, therefore, that the legislation will be in place very shortly.  This will simplify the process for a large cohort of applications on hand and I understand that this will lead to an increase in RUS approvals being issued by DAFM.