Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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656. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the number of reconstitution and underplanting scheme (ash dieback) applications received for the year 2022; the total amount approved; the total denied; the total remaining on hand yet to be approved from 2022, all in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2988/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) 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.

Since the commencement of that RUS – Ash dieback scheme in July 2020 up to 31^stDecember this year, a total of 978 applications have been received, covering 3,783ha. Of this total, 390 have been approved, and there remains 587 on hand, covering 2,543 ha, which are at various stages of the approval process.

In 2022, 228 licences issued, covering 1,230ha, with one application refused (10ha). There was 88 applications received in 2022. The table below outlines application received and on hand.

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 and 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.

Forest Owners will qualify for a clearance grant and may select from a number of proposed Forest Types. 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 and it is proposed that, as is currently the case, the grant rates offered will correspond to the equivalent rate offered in the proposed new Afforestation Scheme; see Circular 20 of 2022 Forestry Programme Support Scheme Grants and Payments which may be viewed at gov.ie - Forestry Grants and Premium Schemes 2014 - 2022 Circulars (www.gov.ie)

The Programme, and the Forestry Strategy, which is the framework within which it operates, has recently closed a public consultation from which we are currently collating and reviewing the feedback received, and this in turn will inform the final versions. We are also actively engaging with the European Commission to progress State Aid approval to the new Programme, with the aim of launching as soon as possible.

I have, of course, also 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.