Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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556. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the forestry section of Teagasc will hold information meetings nationwide to assist forest owners impacted by ash dieback who have forests with dying, dead or rotten trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25695/23]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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560. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has briefed an organisation (details supplied) on ash dieback disease; if he will mobilise the organisation to hold information meetings for forest owners impacted by ash dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25699/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 556 and 560 together.

A total of €9.2 million has been expended to date on the reconstitution schemes that my Department has offered for Ash Dieback. These schemes include supports to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had suffered from, or which were associated with plants affected by disease.

Last month, an Interim Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback via general de minimis was launched which contains a doubling of site clearance rates, increased grant rates and an improved premium regime. The interim scheme includes the following enhanced features:

• 100% increase in the site clearance grant rate, increased from €1,000 to €2,000.
• Enhanced grant rates as per draft Forestry programme 2023-2027
• Those applicants whose sites are still in premium will continue to receive the premium due for the remaining years.
• In addition, for those in receipt of farmer rate of premium, a top up premium equal to the difference between the equivalent forestry type and the existing premium will be paid. This will be calculated for the remaining years left in premium and paid in a single sum.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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557. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has instructed his Department inspectors to inspect forests impacted by ash dieback nationwide to determine the state of the forests and the associated health and safety implications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25696/23]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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558. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are health and safety concerns given the state of dead and rotten trees now present in ash dieback plantations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25697/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 and 558 together.

I am aware that as ash dieback disease progresses nationally and within individual ash plantations, the potential health and safety risks associated with forest plantations, roadside and parkland ash trees will become an issue of increasing importance for landowners, workers and visitors.

My Inspectors have surveyed for ash dieback in ash plantations since the introduction of the disease. Today, ash dieback is widespread in every county in Ireland. However, it is not a role of my Inspectors to determine the safety implications of these forests. As with any other health and safety matter, site-specific issues together with any measures, including any risk assessments required, are in the first instance the responsibility of the individual landowner. Forestry contractors are well aware of the risks in felling trees and the precautions required and their health and safety responsibilities when working or managing others who work in forests.

The HSA has also provided comprehensive guidance and information notes on this subject, including the following: Chainsaw Felling of Large Trees - IFSG 307 (2018); Mechanical Harvesting - IFSG 603 (2018); Extraction by Forwarder - IFSG 503 (2018); Cross Cutting and Manual Stacking - IFSG 304 (2018); Felling and Manual Takedown - IFSG 302 (2018); Chainsaw Safety Training Advice Information Sheet (2015); and Information on the Health and Safety responsibilities of Forest Land Owners and Managers who intend to fell their trees (2014).

In relation to roadside trees, my colleague, Eamon Ryan, Minister for Transport has previously stated that Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road.

He further stated that this responsibility includes the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of any such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation' in question. It is thus advisable that landowners make themselves aware of the full legal extent of their land ownership and of any obligations arising from this.

The implementation of the legislation on the management or removal dangerous roadside trees is the responsibility of the local authority, in its capacity as the relevant road authority.

Furthermore, my Department, last year, published guidance on the subject of roadside trees - “A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees”. This publication, which can be accessed on my Departments website, was produced in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland and outlines specific issues related to health and safety in tree work and gives practical guidance to those working with chainsaws taking out hazardous trees.

As regards the granting of Tree Felling Licences or approvals under the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme to allow landowner remove trees and forests affected by ash dieback disease. My Department continues to issue and accept felling licence applications and, to date in 2023, has issued over 1,100 felling licences.

Pending State Aid approval for the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027, my Department early last month also launched an Interim Reconstitution Scheme for Ash-dieback (via General De Minimis) for all applicants with valid technical approval by 31 December 2022 but who had not commenced reconstitution work and who do not wish to wait until the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023–2027. Features of the interim scheme include an enhanced site clearance grant rate and enhanced planting grant rates as per new Forestry Programme 2023-2027. Applicants whose sites are still in premium will continue to receive the premium due for the remaining years and for those in receipt of farmer rate of premium a top up premium equal to the difference between the equivalent Forest Type rate in the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027 and the existing premium rate will be paid.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated total volume of ash in plantations, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25698/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department undertakes the National Forest Inventory (NFI), the purpose of which is to record and assess the extent and nature of Ireland’s forests, in a timely, accurate and reproducible manner. Reliable, current and consistent information is required to inform domestic forest policy, to support forest research and fulfil national and international reporting commitments.

The fourth NFI cycle was completed during 2022. The national forest estate is still expanding and has now reached 11.6% of the total land area or 808,848 hectares. Broadleaf tree species account for nearly one-third (30.6%) of the stocked forest area while conifer species are the dominant species present (69.4%).

The total growing stock volume of Irish forests is over 142 million cubic metres, of which 4.4 million cubic metres is ash. The distribution of this ash volume is detailed in the table below.

The Deputy may be aware that my Department has spent €9.2 million on schemes to remove and replace ash impacted by ash dieback. All these schemes include a grant for site clearance as well as replanting and cover the costs associated with these operations.

In March, Minister of State, Senator Pippa Hackett launched an Interim Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback via general de minimis which contains a doubling of site clearance rates, increased grant rates and an improved premium regime.

A similar scheme for the reconstitution of ash dieback will be launched as part of the new forestry programme. State Aid Guidelines provide for aid for the restoration of damage to forests caused by a variety of events including damage from disease and pests. State Aid rules are explicit that this aid is for restoration and does not facilitate compensation for loss including income.

My Department continues to review the operation of the ash dieback scheme, having regard to its effectiveness, the status of the plantations, state aid regulations and other issues having regard to the age and stage of the rotation of the almost 16,000 hectares of ash that were grant aided between 1990 and 2013.