Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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358. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Forest Service of his Department have cross referenced the Ash dieback RUS applications with corresponding road licence applications on a forest-level basis to ensure that forest road approvals will be issued in conjunction with Ash dieback reconstitution approvals to enable the necessary clearance works to take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49314/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The reconstitution ash die-back and forest roads schemes are now open to applications under the new Forestry Programme 2023 - 2027.

My Department has also written to RUS and Forest Road applicants that had an approval under the previous programme and hadn’t commenced work, along with those who had a current application that hadn’t been approved, to offer them the opportunity to opt-in under the conditions of the new schemes and to avail of enhanced grants and payments.

There are different criteria for both the RUS and the Road scheme and therefore they must be assessed independently of each other.

Details of all schemes offered under the new Forestry Programme 2023 – 2027 can be found here: gov.ie- Forestry Grants and Schemes (www.gov.ie)

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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359. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department will publish an implementation plan for the recommendations set out in the Review of Support for Farmers Impacted by Ash Dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49315/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for forestry matters, is working on detailed proposals in relation to the implementation plan of my Department in respect of the Review of Support for Farmers impacted by Ash DIeback. When all details of the implementation plan are finalised it will be brought for decision to the Cabinet. I expect that work on the plan will be finalised shortly.