Press release
Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett, today announced the commencement of payment of Environmental Report Grants for licensed applicants and their registered Forester. Payments have commenced for all 2022 processed applications.
Minister Hackett stated:
“I am pleased to announce the first payments of an Environment Report Grant as part of the costs of establishing a forest, recognising the cost associated with making application. It’s a direct result of discussions with stakeholders under Project Woodland about the additional costs of preparing and submitting an afforestation application. The proposal originated in the MacKinnon report which is being implemented through Project Woodland.”
An environment grant will be paid if a report from an ecologist or archaeologist is submitted as part of an application. It will be paid at the Form 2 stage, which is when payment is made for trees planted. The amount of grant aid is weighted towards the first few hectares, with €450/ hectare for the first hectare, €400 for the second hectare, €350 for the third hectare and €50/hectare from 4 hectares capped at 20 hectares. No additional application is required as the process is automated in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The Minister added: “I also welcome the recent training provided by my department to the sector to facilitate the submission of habitat maps. This is aimed at removing additional costs to licence applicants and is again another effort to reduce costs on those making afforestation applications. This is all about facilitating an increasing number of afforestation applications, and ultimately more trees in the ground.”