Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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566. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the adequacy of the current reconstitution and underplanting scheme in light of the identification of the pseudips mexicanus, known as the Monterey pine engraver, alongside the larch beetle in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36834/24]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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569. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the preventative measures that were in place prior to the discovery of the larch beetle in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36837/24]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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570. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the preventative measures that were in place prior to the discovery of the Monterey beetle in Clare and Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36838/24]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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571. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the locations where the larch beetle and the Monterey beetle have been discovered in Ireland; the restrictions that have been placed in Ireland on the certification and other use of timber sourced from those locations and the requirement and impacts this will have on local foresters; the supports to be put in place to assist in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36839/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 566, 569, 570 and 571 together.

My Department found three Ips cembrae beetles (common name: large larch bark beetle) in one of its pheromone traps in Passage West Port in Cork.

Passage West port is used for the importation of roundwood logs from the Pest Free Area (PFA) in western Scotland. Ips cembrae was never found or intercepted in Ireland in the past, despite longstanding annual surveillance. The export of logs from the PFA has ceased following this finding until a full investigation takes place. Additional surveys are being carried out in the vicinity of the port but there have been no further findings.

My Department found Pseudips mexicanus beetles (common name: Monterey pine engraver) in several pheromone traps near Cratloe Co. Clare. To date no source of these Pseudips mexicanus beetles has been identified. A 10km Demarcated Area was established around the Pseudips mexicanus findings. Within this Demarcated Area restrictions on the felling and movement of pine species now apply. This is to ensure that untreated pine wood and pine wood products can only leave the demarcated area under the control of the Department for treatment and not for direct trade to other parts of the island or for export. The Department is working to facilitate the movement of pine logs with bark out of the demarcated under controlled circumstances.

Affected forest owners in the demarcated area have been contacted directly by my Department with further information. An information day was held by my Forestry Inspectorate officials onsite with forest owners in April. My Department will continue to keep stakeholders informed as new information comes to hand and as the timber movement protocols are developed.

Import restrictions apply to host commodities of both Ips cembrae and Pseudips mexicanus .

Currently my Department operates a Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme. This applies to ash plantations and covers financial support to clear and replant the ash forest with different tree species. There is scope under the Forestry Programme to offer support on phytosanitary and other grounds, such as frost or drought damage. Should a breeding population of Pseudips mexicanus or Ips cembrae be discovered and eradication measures such as felling and destruction of trees be required, I would consider the option of introducing an appropriate Reconstitution Scheme, subject to the normal budgetary considerations.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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567. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the data that informed his Department’s site clearance funding under the reconstitution and underplanting scheme; the methodology his Department used in assessing that financing as being sufficient and appropriate to cover the different needs of different forests and woodlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36835/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback was part of the €1.3 billion package negotiated successfully for the Forestry Programme 23-27, and for which State Aid Approval was received in 2023. The Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback 23-27 includes a 100% increase in the site clearance grant and considerably enhanced planting grants under seven forest types for the planting of other species, as well as an innovative top up premium for those ash sites still due premiums under the original afforestation scheme.

All grant schemes under the Forestry Programme and their constituent payments, including the site clearance rate, were informed by economic and financial analysis including insights gained from daily engagement with cost-based applications for grant payment for all forestry operations.

An Ash Dieback Action Plan was approved by Government in May of this year and a Taskforce was established with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the Plan. This Taskforce is a forum comprising officials from my Department and stakeholders including ash forest owners, with some useful clarifications made and actions agreed to progress the implementation of the Plan. The role of the Taskforce is to ensure that the Plan is implemented in an effective way, with a coordinated response and resolution of obstacles to implementation.

Minister of State Pippa Hackett has also launched the Climate Action Performance Scheme (CAPP) as part of the Ash Dieback Action Plan . This payment of €5,000 per hectare paid in three instalments will be available to those forest owners who have cleared their sites and replanted. The overall financial package of supports for ash owners now available amounts to a total of €237 million.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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568. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasoning behind the decision not to implement specific recommendations of the ash review; to provide that detail, per recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36836/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Government approved a comprehensive Action plan on ash dieback in May this year. This Action Plan represents the considered response of my Department to the independent review recommendations, having regard to the requirements under State Aid Regulations, need for fairness, equity and value for money under the public expenditure code, along with national and international deforestation obligations.

Each recommendation of the review group has an associated action or clear response as outlined in detail in the Action Plan, which may be viewed at this link . My Department has paid €13 million on reconstitution schemes to date and this package will amount to €237 million in total. It is a comprehensive response, and one which I am confident will also serve to boost interest and participation in Ireland’s 23-27 Forestry Programme.

As part of the Action Plan, a Taskforce was established with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Plan. This Taskforce comprises officials from my Department and stakeholders including ash forest owners. The role of the Taskforce is to ensure that the Plan is implemented in an effective way, with a coordinated response and resolution of obstacles to implementation. The Taskforce has met twice, discussing each of the recommendations and associated actions and responses. Some useful clarifications have been made and actions agreed to progress the implementation of the Plan.