Up to €55m funding for storm reconstitution scheme
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon and Minister of State for forestry Michael Healy-Rae have announced a new reconstitution scheme for private forest owners affected by Storm Darragh and Storm Éowyn earlier this year.
The level of support under the reconstitution scheme for windblow depends on whether the forest was insured for the costs of reconstitution at the time of the storms.
Applications for the scheme will open in early 2026. Applicants to the scheme will need to hold a valid felling licence. The conditions of the felling licence will continue to apply.
The specification document and application form for the scheme will be available to view on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's website in early 2026. Applications will be made through a registered forester.
It is proposed that the grant under the scheme will be paid in two instalments: 75% of the grant in the year of replanting; and the remaining 25% after four years.
The rates of payment for the scheme are outlined below:
| Replanting species | Grant per hectare |
|---|---|
| Native forests | €6,744 |
| Broadleaf, mainly oak and beech | €6,744 |
| Diverse broadleaf | €4,314 |
| Continuous cover forestry | €5,421 |
| Mixed high forests: diverse conifer | €4,452 |
| Mixed high forests with Sitka Spruce and coniferous high forest | €3,858 |
Satellite imagery assessments following the two storms indicated that damage was caused to 26,050ha of forestry, and of that almost 13,000ha are in private ownership.
Commenting on the scheme, Minister Healy-Rae said: “Storms Darragh and Éowyn have inflicted significant damage on forests around the country, resulting in real challenges for forestry. The volume of timber normally felled over a 2.5 year period was blown down overnight during Storm Éowyn in January 2025.
"While I welcome the significant effort and progress made to date by the forestry sector in the mobilisation of windblown material in forests, it is clear that financial support is required for private forest owners affected by these events," Minister Healy-Rae added.
The minister said: “This reconstitution scheme contains an attractive package to enable payments to forest owners for replanting their damaged forest areas.
"The grant rates offered will reflect the replanting species and will mirror the planting grant rates paid through [the] department’s afforestation scheme.
"Landowners who have already replanted, or are in the process of doing so, are eligible to apply for this scheme retrospectively once they satisfy the qualifying criteria," Minister Healy-Rae said.
Minister Martin Heydon said: “I welcome this scheme which will provide financial aid to private landowners whose plantations were damaged by storm force winds that occurred during storms Darragh and Éowyn.
"It will provide a grant to forest owners for replanting with either conifer or broadleaf species, or a mixture of both.
"I encourage all private forest owners affected by storms Darragh and Éowyn to avail of this comprehensive reconstitution scheme. This will be vital in helping landowners to restore their forests’ potential," Minister Heydon added.
