Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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320. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in establishing a compensation package for farmers whose plantations were damaged due to Storm Éowyn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22009/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I recognise that the recent storms Darragh and Éowyn have caused varying degrees of damage around the country, including significant damage to trees and that this presents challenges to all stakeholders in forestry. All licence applications with affected areas of windblow will be prioritised by my Department.

We are currently examining all potential options to support those affected, including a reconstitution scheme. However, without prejudging the outcome of these deliberations, I want to reassure affected forest owners that they will not be disadvantaged by undertaking clearance or replanting now and if they do not currently have a felling licence, they should consult with their forester about applying for one.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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321. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the requirement to replant land where plantations were badly damaged due to Storm Éowyn will be reviewed, taking into account that some of these areas are not suitable for plantation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22010/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Forestry in Ireland operates within a legal and regulatory framework – the Forest Act 2014 and the Forestry Regulations 2017 (SI No 191 of 2017).

The Forestry Act requires that forest owners who wish to fell their forests require a felling licence. The reason why a felling licence is required, in general, is to ensure that trees in a forest are harvested and removed in a way that does not harm the environment and that there is an opportunity for a legal provision to have a replanting condition on that land. These reasons are still relevant where a forest is windblown.

Notwithstanding the requirement for a felling licence and the general policy to attach a replanting condition to clearfell licences as per good forest practice, my Department has laid out in its ‘Felling and Reforestation Policy’ document, certain instances where forest areas may be felled and the Department will not require that land to be replanted. For instance, where a case is put to my Department by the applicant that there are overriding environmental considerations, my Department will consider waiving the replanting condition.

I would also like to highlight that the EU Deforestation Regulation entered into force in June 2023 and under this Regulation, any operator or trader who places certain commodities (including cattle and timber) on the EU market, or exports from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation.