Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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518. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares of land currently under afforestation in the State. [27622/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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519. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares currently under afforestation currently receiving premiums under afforestation schemes from 2005 to date. [27623/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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520. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of recipients currently receiving afforestation premiums under afforestation schemes from 2005 to date. [27624/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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521. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of the number of hectares of forestry, per forest types 1 to 10, under the afforestation scheme. [27625/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 to 521, inclusive, together.

In 2022, the fourth National Forest Inventory (NFI) estimated the area of forest to be 808,848 hectares or 11.6% of the land area. The purpose of the NFI is to record and assess the extent and nature of Ireland’s forests, both public and private, 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.

Some 695,843ha have been planted (public and private) since 1922. Recently, there are now hopeful signs given planting to date this year is up nearly 150% on the same period last year. And there is more to come, with another 1,600 hectares already committed to or commenced planting, and a further 4,490 hectares licenced but not yet planted.

The Forestry Programme 2023-2027 was approved by the Government in September 2023 and is funded with €1.3bn. This funding represents the largest ever investment by an Irish Government in tree-planting, put in place to incentivise farmers to the greatest extent possible to engage with tree-planting as an additional income stream and diversification option.

The overall aim of the Forestry programme is to increase forest cover whilst also delivering ecosystem services with environmental and climate benefits.

There are 12 diverse forest types, which provide ample choice for both public and private landowners to plant according to their needs.

The table below details the number of hectares of forestry per requested forest types 1 to 10, and forest types 11 and 12 planted under the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 and the Interim Afforestation Schemes (via General De Minimis).

Some 9,788 individual Forest Owners are due premia payments in 2025, for 87,893ha planted under afforestation schemes since 2005.