Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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98. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the new forestry programme, including when it is expected that new applications will be accepted into the scheme. [25193/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As Deputies may be aware the new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022.

The new Programme will benefit farmers, rural communities and our overall climate and environment.

The new Programme is subject to State Aid approval under the Guidelines from the EU Commission. It is also subject to an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment process, which is well advanced.

My Department has been engaging proactively and intensively with the Commission over the last few months in order to secure approval . Once it is received, we will be in a position to launch new forestry schemes, subject to finalization of the Strategic Environmental Assessment.

The position at the moment is that the Commission is reviewing our State Aid Notification and will decide whether the aid proposed under the new Programme is compatible with EU rules. I would expect to hear from the Commission very shortly and as the Commission reserves the right to seek additional information, it is not possible to give a definitive timeline at this stage as to when approval will be granted. However, I would like to assure the House that my Department will respond quickly to any communication from the Commission with a view to receiving approval as soon as is possible.

Not all schemes under the Programme require State Aid approval under the Guidelines and on 24th April, under the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation, my Department opened two schemes for applications, the Forest Roads Scheme and the Innovative Forest Technology Scheme – Module 2 Investment Aid for the Development of the Forest Tree Nursery Sector.

In recognition of the need for forestry activity to continue, and pending the launch of the new Programme, my Department also engaged with the Commission last December to secure an interim solution which has led to the introduction of an Interim Afforestation Scheme, an Interim Forest Road Scheme and an interim Ash Dieback Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme via General De Minimis. This ensured that those with valid afforestation licences issued before the end of 2022 could avail of the current planting season under the higher grant and premium rates proposed under the new Programme. Likewise those with valid road licences and approvals under the Ash Dieback Scheme at the end of 2022 could avail of the higher grants and enhanced payment rates as proposed under the new Programme.

As you may be aware, there are 797 approved afforestation licences with 5,819 hectares ready for planting and to date over 1,692 hectares have been approved for planting under the Interim De Minimis scheme. In addition 39,721 m have been approved under the interim Forest Road Scheme, while 74 hectares has been approved under the interim RUS scheme.

Finally I wish to assure the Housee that the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is a matter of the utmost priority for me and all efforts are directed towards its early introduction.