Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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1066. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider the acquisition of large tracts of mountain land, by the State, with a view to afforesting them, particularly with slow-growing, bio-diverse, indigenous, deciduous woodland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2008/25]

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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1126. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will amend afforestation programmes to specifically incentivise planting on mountainous land or less productive agricultural land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2110/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1066 and 1126 together.

The new Forestry Programme 2023-2027 aims to encourage a substantial increase in afforestation by offering attractive and diverse options for planting, especially for farmers. This government has committed €1.3 billion of funding to the Programme in order to support our national ambition of 8,000 hectares of afforestation per year.

The Afforestation Scheme offers landowners a choice of 12 Forest Types which cover a broad range of planting options including Native Woodland, Continuous Cover Forestry and Emergent Forests. It provides generous incentives to farmers in particular, to re-engage with forestry. These include increases in premium rates ranging from between 46% to 66%, along with a longer premium term of 20 years for farmers, compared to 15 years for non-farmers, across most Forest Types. These generous financial incentives are available to all landowners who successfully apply to the Afforestation Scheme.

I have no plans to acquire large tracts of mountain land for forest creation but will continue to promote and encourage both private and public landowners to engage with forestry. In this regard, Forest Type 3 ‘Forests on Public Lands’ has been specifically created to enable planting of new native woodlands on suitable publicly owned bare land.

The State Aid approval for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 contains environmental requirements for afforestation which impact on the land types that are suitable for the Afforestation Scheme. These requirements fully align the licence application and assessment process for afforestation with both environmental legislation and with the State Aid conditions underpinning the new Forestry Programme.

I am committed to undertaking a mid term review of the current Forestry Programme in 2025. This will be conducted in consultation with all stakeholders. it remains the case that any such propose changes must comply with State Aid rules.

I am acutely aware of the need to increase our levels of afforestation but I am also conscious that this needs to be done in a legally compliant, environmentally sustainable and silviculturally appropriate manner and all applications will continue to be assessed individually.