The reconstitution and underplanting scheme (RUS) for farmers and landowners impacted by ash dieback must be redesigned to make it “fit for purpose”, says Christopher O’Sullivan TD.
The Cork south-west TD said the current €1,000/ha grant aid proposed under the scheme doesn’t go “anywhere near far enough”.
“I think at the very, very least, we need to give [farmers and landowners] in and around the €4,000/ha to help them survive,” he said.
O’Sullivan was speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday night about the impact of ash dieback across the country.
‘No fault of their own’
The Fianna Fáil TD highlighted that the ash plantations of farmers and landowners have been decimated through “no fault of their own”.
“Decades ago, a previous Government incentivised, encouraged and promoted the planting of ash right throughout our island.
“They encouraged families and individuals to invest in their future, something that they could rely on as maybe they got older,” he said.
O’Sullivan said such families have “no responsibility” for the arrival of ash dieback in Ireland.
“Ash dieback has absolutely ripped through our native ash, its ripped through some of the most beautiful, natural parts of Ireland but it has also ripped through the investments that these individuals or families made,” he said.
The Cork TD warned that the state has “not gone far enough to compensate” those affected and called for the Government to intervene.
Approvals up
Responding to Christopher O’Sullivan TD on behalf of Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, Minister of State for Trade Promotion Dara Calleary highlighted the uptick in ash dieback scheme application approvals.
He pointed out that the department has “provided support totalling €7m through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme introduced in 2013 and more recently through the reconstitution and underplanting scheme (RUS)”.
Minister of State for Trade Promotion Dara Calleary. \ Philip Doyle
The RUS expired 31 December 2022 but it is understood it will be reopened under the state’s new Forestry Programme, awaiting state aid approval.
Minister Calleary said that up to 1 Dec 2022, there were 978 applications into the RUS scheme covering 3,783ha. Of this total, 390 have been approved, with 587 applications remaining at various stages of the approvals process, covering 2,543ha.
This follows the system’s output in 2022 where 208 RUS applications were approved covering 1,240ha.
Calleary also highlighted that since before Christmas, planning permission requirements for ash replanting on areas less than 10ha have been removed.
However, he ultimately agreed with O’Sullivan’s points and said Minister McConalogue will consider them in his review of the scheme.
Read more
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Ash dieback planning exemption a ‘positive’ step – IFA
The reconstitution and underplanting scheme (RUS) for farmers and landowners impacted by ash dieback must be redesigned to make it “fit for purpose”, says Christopher O’Sullivan TD.
The Cork south-west TD said the current €1,000/ha grant aid proposed under the scheme doesn’t go “anywhere near far enough”.
“I think at the very, very least, we need to give [farmers and landowners] in and around the €4,000/ha to help them survive,” he said.
O’Sullivan was speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday night about the impact of ash dieback across the country.
‘No fault of their own’
The Fianna Fáil TD highlighted that the ash plantations of farmers and landowners have been decimated through “no fault of their own”.
“Decades ago, a previous Government incentivised, encouraged and promoted the planting of ash right throughout our island.
“They encouraged families and individuals to invest in their future, something that they could rely on as maybe they got older,” he said.
O’Sullivan said such families have “no responsibility” for the arrival of ash dieback in Ireland.
“Ash dieback has absolutely ripped through our native ash, its ripped through some of the most beautiful, natural parts of Ireland but it has also ripped through the investments that these individuals or families made,” he said.
The Cork TD warned that the state has “not gone far enough to compensate” those affected and called for the Government to intervene.
Approvals up
Responding to Christopher O’Sullivan TD on behalf of Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, Minister of State for Trade Promotion Dara Calleary highlighted the uptick in ash dieback scheme application approvals.
He pointed out that the department has “provided support totalling €7m through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme introduced in 2013 and more recently through the reconstitution and underplanting scheme (RUS)”.
Minister of State for Trade Promotion Dara Calleary. \ Philip Doyle
The RUS expired 31 December 2022 but it is understood it will be reopened under the state’s new Forestry Programme, awaiting state aid approval.
Minister Calleary said that up to 1 Dec 2022, there were 978 applications into the RUS scheme covering 3,783ha. Of this total, 390 have been approved, with 587 applications remaining at various stages of the approvals process, covering 2,543ha.
This follows the system’s output in 2022 where 208 RUS applications were approved covering 1,240ha.
Calleary also highlighted that since before Christmas, planning permission requirements for ash replanting on areas less than 10ha have been removed.
However, he ultimately agreed with O’Sullivan’s points and said Minister McConalogue will consider them in his review of the scheme.
Read more
Three Dublin girls working to save the ash tree
Ash dieback planning exemption a ‘positive’ step – IFA
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