Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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31. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an explanation for the unspent €25,995,012 from the forestry Budget for 2022. [11629/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The shortfall in spending of €25,995,012 in the forestry budget of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is primarily due to the level of planting provided for not being reached, with 2,273 hectares planted against a target of 8,000 hectares. The Deputy will be aware that the afforestation scheme is a demand led programme and it is often a feature of the final year of a Programme, that those with valid licences adopt a 'wait and see' attitude to see whether they would benefit from transitioning to the new Forestry Programme. This is borne out by the fact that at the end of 2022 there were over 1,000 approved afforestation licences with a total of 7,500 hectares.

The Deputy will be aware that I launched an interim afforestation scheme to enable those applicants with valid approvals to opt into a scheme offering the new grant and premium rates contained in the draft forestry programme to bridge the lacuna between the old and new Forestry Programmes and to date nearly 1,120 hectares have been approved for planting.

There was also some shortfall in the number of historic premiums paid. Forestry is a multi-annual scheme where yearly premiums may be accumulated, therefore “banking of premiums” often occurs, this is where individuals choose to allow their premiums build-up, to claim at a future date, e.g., to pay for a child’s college education.

It is my expectation that the proposed increases announced for the new Programme will encourage increased uptake in afforestation numbers and that the ambitious targets of the new forestry programme can be met over the next five years.