The latest payment of annual tax-free forestry premiums for 2018, amounting to €17.33m, have been announced by Andrew Doyle, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture.

These payments follow the previous January pay run and are issued to those forest owners who used the paper-based application system. Payments in respect of 7,300 forest premium on-line applications were made in January 2018.

Announcing the issue of the latest round of forest premium payments, Doyle said: “This payment run brings the total value of forest premium paid to date in 2018 to €56.8m in respect of 16,390 applications. My department will continue to process forest premium applications as they are received and will be making payments on a weekly basis throughout the year. Between €60m and €70m is usually paid in forest premiums each year, which represents a significant stable income stream for forest owners.”

New initiatives

Doyle also said : ”Existing forest owners will be interested to note that new forestry initiatives are also going to be launched during 2018, arising from the midterm review, such as forestry knowledge transfer groups. Further information on all of the schemes currently available, and associated rates, is available from my department, Teagasc or forestry companies registered with the department, a list of whom are available on my department’s website.”

Forest owners who have not submitted their online applications to date may still apply online for their forestry premiums through the IFORIS Internet portal on the Department’s online services website (www.agfood.ie).

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