The Department of Agriculture will undertake a mid-term review of the current Forestry Programme in 2025, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said.

He said that the review will be conducted in consultation with stakeholders.

“Depending on the outcome of this review, certain proposed changes may require approval from the European Commission under State Aid rules. These resulting agreed changes will be implemented prior to the end of the current Forestry Programme 2023-2027 term,” he said in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton.

Attractive options

The Forestry Programme for the period 2023-2027 aims to encourage a substantial increase in afforestation by offering attractive and diverse options for planting, the minister continued.

“This Government has committed €1.3 billion of funding to the programme in order to support our national ambition of 8,000ha of afforestation per year.

“It also provides for a range of schemes to support the maintenance and sustainable management of forests,” he said.

Department of Agriculture figures show that some 1,302ha of forestry has been planted to date in 2024.