Sinn Féin has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and Minister of State for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett to provide “urgent clarity” on a new afforestation grant scheme.
Earlier today (Wednesday, August 2), it was announced separately by the European Commission and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that the commission had approved a scheme to increase afforestation in Ireland.
It is understood that this afforestation scheme forms the afforestation element of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027, which has been awaiting approval by the commission under state aid rules for several months.
The commission said the afforestation measure would be funded to the tune of €308 million. However, the department statement on the scheme made no mention of the funding for this measure, instead reiterating that the overall Forestry Programme has been budgeted at €1.3 billion.
This has led to some degree of confusion over the remainder of the €1.3 billion on how it will be used, and if the commission has approved, or will approve, the Forestry Programme in its entirety.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Claire Kerrane has called on Ministers McConalogue and Hackett to provide clarity on the approval of the afforestation grant.
Speaking this afternoon following the dual announcements from the commission and the department, the Roscommon-Galway TD said: “It is a welcome update that approval has been provided today by the European Commission for a grant scheme for afforestation.
However, many more questions remain unanswered.
“€308 million equates to less than 25% of the €1.3 billion for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. It is crucial that the ministers provide clarification and additional detail on the approved amount,” she added.
Kerrane went on: “Given the significant delays to the new Forestry Programme already, farmers and foresters deserve to know exactly what amount has been approved and what it has been approved for.”
“In addition, the ministers have stated that application [process] will be opening in the next couple of weeks, but it is reasonable to expect that any afforestation grant scheme would be up and running almost immediately.
“There has been plenty of time to have this scheme ready to go on approval, given applications should have opened late last year.”
Kerrane said that she has been contacted by farmers and forestry landowners who have been “seriously worried” about the delays to the new Forestry Programme.
“In addition, there is an annual target of 8,000ha of afforestation. Yet, there has been just 1,020ha planted in the first seven months of 2023 and licencing issued for just 140ha of new forestry so far this year,” she said.
The TD added: “Given that situation, it is no surprise that confidence in the sector among farmers and foresters is at an all-time low.
“That lack of confidence will not be helped by questions remaining about how much the approved afforestation grant scheme is for, what it is for, and when it will be up and running.
“I am calling on Minister Hackett and Minister McConalogue to provide urgent clarity and confirmation on this matter,” Kerrane said.