Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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131. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to increase rates of afforestation. [18347/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Increasing the area under forestry in the country remains a key priority for me, Minister of State Pippa Hackett who has responsibility for the sector and the Department. I am acutely aware of the afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year set out in the Climate Action Plan and the fact that afforestation rates have been declining in recent years.

In order to realise our ambitions in terms of afforestation, considerable work has been undertaken to date in developing a vision for a new future for forestry in Ireland. Ireland now has for the first time, a Shared National Vision. This Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests in Ireland until 2050, was informed by a series of extensive engagements and consultation. The Vision has informed a new draft Forestry Strategy for Ireland which was developed by a Project Woodland Working Group.

In parallel, a draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan has also been developed to facilitate the initial steps in the implementation of the Forest Strategy and the Plan includes a draft Forestry Programme for the period 2023 to 2027. The Deputy will be aware that funding of €1.3 billion has now been secured for this next Forestry Programme, subject to State Aid approval.

In order to address the lacuna between the two Forestry Programmes, we introduced an Interim Afforestation Scheme to allow for existing licence holders to plant trees at the new, significantly higher grant and premium payment rates proposed to be paid under the new Programme.

To date in 2023, a total of 1,533 hectares of afforestation have been approved for planting under the interim Afforestation scheme.

We have also been working intensively with the European Commission to secure State Aid approval for the new Programme. I am pleased to say that we have commenced our formal submission for State Aid approval and I expect that it will be fully lodged by the end of this week.

This clears the way for the Commission to formally assess our application and to make a determination on our request for State Aid approval. Once that has been received we will be in a position to launch the new Programme, pending finalisation of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, which I am assured is nearing completion.

This will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland. This funding provides unprecedented incentives to encourage the planting of trees that can provide a valuable addition to farm income and also to help meet our national climate and biodiversity objectives.

I also propose to launch a Native Tree Area Scheme following the completion of a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment, subject to the findings of both assessments. I hope that the proposed Scheme will contribute to the stated policy goal of incentivising small-scale tree planting and of re-engaging farmers with afforestation.

It is my intention to introduce and promote a Programme which will deliver for society, for landowners and for the forestry sector in Ireland. Its objective will be to expand the national forest estate on both private and public land.

I hope to incentivise farmers, in particular, to re-engage with forestry and we hope to offer increases in grants and premiums to enable this land-use change.

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.