The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has spent a total of €37.8 million on afforestation during the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 which is down 4% on the same period last year.
The sum was spent on the establishment of new forests (first grant), the second portion of the grant for forest establishment (due on the 4th planting anniversary), and for premiums paid annually, the DAFM said.
At €35.7 million, the bulk of the sum was paid in the form of premiums to 7,686 forest owners of which 6,341 are farmers who received a total of €29.1 million, according to DAFM figures.
First-grant payments worth €1.31 million were made to 38 forest owners. Of these, 20 are farmers who received €857,038. Second-grant payments amounted to €828,641 paid to 120 forest owners of which 62 farmers received €387,510.
In Q1 2023, the DAFM’s spending on afforestation was €39.6 million. The DAFM said this drop is partly due to the “banking of premiums” as individuals “often” choose to allow their premiums to build up and to claim them at a future date.
The table below outlines expenditure by the DAFM on all forestry schemes in Q1 2024:
Scheme Amount € Afforestation €37,854,132 Roads €825,031 Reconstitution Schemes for Ash Dieback €209,426 Other Reconstitution (Frost) €16,230 Native Woodland Scheme €27,787 NeighbourWood Scheme €109,681 Woodland Improvement Thinning and Tending €26,490 Woodland Improvement Scheme, Continuous Cover Forestry €16,553 Total €39,085,330
DAFM forestry divisions
Figures provided by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue show that the pay costs of the three DAFM forestry divisions – including salaries, travel and subsistence and overtime – in Q1 2024 were €2.51 million.
Within the DAFM there is a Forestry (Admin) Division, a Forest Sector Development (FSD) Division, and a Forestry Inspectorate Division which includes ecology and archaeology.
In 2022 and 2023, the yearly pay costs, based on the midpoints of individual salary scales, including travel and subsistence and overtime, in the forestry divisions were €8.94 million and €10.25 million respectively.
The table below shows the current full-time staff working across the three divisions. These figures are not static and fluctuate due to staff movements, promotions and transfers during the year, the minister said.
Grade/Role Admin* FSD Inspectorate Total Director of Forestry 1 1 Senior Inspector 1 1 2 Forestry Inspector Grade 1 3 8 11 Forestry Inspector Grade 2 2 12 14 Forestry Inspector Grade 3 4 32 36 Forest Insp G3 (archaeologist) 4 4 Forest Insp G3 (ecologist) 1 1 Forest Isp G3 (engineer) 1 1 AAI (ecologist) 6 6 Principal Officer 1 1 Assistant Principal 4.8 1 5.8 Higher Executive Officer 14.4 1 15.4 Executive Officer 31.19 1 4 36.19 Clerical Officer 40.45 40.45 Total 92.84 13 69 174.84
The minister noted that, as not all staff in the admin (forestry) division are working full time, the figures listed in the table represent the number of hours a staff member works, rather than the number of staff in the division.