Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2026
467. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the schemes available to compensate farmers who have suffered substantial losses due to ash dieback; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18052/26]
View answerThe first confirmed finding of Ash Dieback Disease in Ireland was in 2012. My Department put measures in place and introduced the first reconstitution scheme in 2013 to help restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had been affected by this disease.
In July 2023 my Department launched the latest Reconstitution scheme for Ash Dieback under the new Forestry Programme 2023-27 with enhanced features which include:
• 100% increase in the site clearance grant rate to €2,000 per hectare.
• Enhanced replanting grant rates of €6,744 per hectare for native forests and €3,858 per hectare for mixed forests with Sitka spruce.
• A single top up premium for farmers equal to the difference between the equivalent forestry type and the existing premium for the remaining years left in premium.
An Independent Review Group was established in 2023 to review the supports available to Ash forest owners with Ash Dieback. The Group submitted a report with their findings to my Department and in response Government approval was secured for an Ash Dieback Action Plan.
This plan provides for an additional €79.5 million in funding to pay for a new Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP), which is available as a payment of €5,000 per hectare to forest owners who fully engage with my Department's reconstitution schemes and carry out replanting. This brings the total financial package of supports available to over €230 million.
Since the launch of the first supports In excess of €28 million in supports have been has been paid out to beneficiaries across both the Ash Dieback Reconstitution Schemes and CAPP.
My Department will deal with ash dieback fully before the end of the current Forestry Programme in 2027. I encourage anyone who has not yet applied for supports to apply immediately.
