Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 March 2026
252. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the co-ordination that exists between his Department and electricity infrastructure operators to mitigate the risk of fallen trees damaging power lines during storms. [22720/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra253. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assessment that has been undertaken regarding the impact of proposed 20-metre vegetation clearance corridors around electricity infrastructure on land available for afforestation. [22721/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra254. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether the requirement for wider electricity line corridors will reduce the overall area eligible for afforestation under the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. [22722/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra255. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has engaged with ESB Networks and other relevant agencies regarding how forestry policy will adapt to new infrastructure protection requirements. [22723/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra256. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether compensation or alternative supports will be provided to landowners whose lands become ineligible for forestry due to electricity corridor restrictions [22724/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 252 to 256, inclusive, together.
My Department is in regular contact with the ESB, Coillte and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment in relation to forests and electricity infrastructure.
Following storm Darrragh and Éowyn, my Department and Coillte collaborated with ESB Networks to assess windblown areas along power lines in forests. An ESB Networks Winter 2025 Resilience Plan was published. The objective of that plan is to enhance the resilience of the grid in the most vulnerable locations and along certain priority powerline forestry corridors. Some of this work, involving tree cutting in the vicinity of ESB lines in these priority areas, is ongoing in both Coillte and privately owned forests.
In relation to mitigating the risk of trees falling damaging powerlines, in July last year my colleague Darragh O Brien TD, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment brought a Heads of Bill to cabinet and the Government then approved the priority drafting of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025 which will enhance the resilience of the electricity grid.
I understand the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment are currently consulting with stakeholders in connection with this Bill. The purpose of this Bill is to enable proactive measures, such as the establishment and maintenance of designated forestry corridors within existing forestry. My Department has inputted to the framework for the draft legislation, which amongst other things is intended to ensure that the ESB will be fully empowered to better manage this issue in the future. The Bill will allow for wider powerline forestry corridors to be created. I understand there will be more detail around the new corridor widths in regulations following the enactment of the Bill.
The Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2025 will deal with the subject of compensation for landowners. Currently the ESB provide compensation to landowners who cannot afforest under a powerline, as a result of the presence of the powerline.
The existing powerline forestry corridors are outlined in the table below. These areas under the powerlines are not eligible for afforestation grants and premiums. Wider corridors would therefore lead to more land being ineligible for the afforestation scheme and at reforestation wider corridors would reduce the productive area of the forest. This is a big concern for some of the stakeholders that I have met. Until new forestry corridor widths and designs have been decided on it will not be possible to determine the impact any increased widths may have on future afforestation levels. My Department continues to engage with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment in relation to this matter. Any changes in relation to corridors will be reflected in my Department's Forestry Standards Manual.
|
Power line type |
Corridor width (Current) |
|
Low voltage (230V/400V0 |
None (clearance from branches and tree tops only) |
|
10kv and 20kv |
20 metres |
|
38kv |
20 metres |
|
110kv |
61 metres |
|
220kv |
68 metres |
|
400kv |
74 metres |
