Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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89. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the details of the stringent terms and conditions mentioned in clause 1.1 of the new interim afforestation scheme; if the €200,000 threshold mentioned in this clause refers to investment or premium pay out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25142/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that we await state aid approval for the ambitious new Forestry Programme. In the meantime to fill the lacuna created by the end of the last programme on 31st December 2022, an interim afforestation scheme and an interim forest roads scheme were launched, under the General De Minimis Regulation. This allowed those landowners with unused licences at the end of 2022 to opt to plant trees or build a forest road without waiting for the new Programme.

A detailed outline of the requirements of the General de Minimis regulation is provided in the scheme documents and frequently asked questions published on my Department’s website. Information sessions were held by my Department with stakeholders, industry representatives and Oireachtas members earlier this year.

De Minimis aid provided for State Aid given to an enterprise which cannot exceed €200,00 over any three fiscal years to any individual or company. The threshold of €200,000 includes all de minimis payments regardless of the granting Department or agency. These rules include cover both grants and premiums, as well as the blocking of payments that would exceed the threshold and recoupment of any payments made in excess of the threshold.

A declaration is required from the applicant to indicate that they are aware of these rules and that they undertake to submit details of all de minimis payments during the previous rolling three-year period. The declaration also indicates that the applicant understands that if the cumulative amount of all de minimis payments received during the three-year rolling period exceeds €200,000 the payment cannot be made.