The Department of Agriculture has paid out almost €2.54m in ash dieback compensation payments to farmers and foresters whose plantations were impacted by the disease.The Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP) pays ash growers who clear their sites and replant them a €5,000 per hectare payment.
The Department of Agriculture has paid out almost €2.54m in ash dieback compensation payments to farmers and foresters whose plantations were impacted by the disease.
The Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP) pays ash growers who clear their sites and replant them a €5,000 per hectare payment.
The scheme was announced last year by former Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon confirmed in a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly this week that 280 applications were received for the first installment of the scheme.
“Of these, none have been disallowed. There are ongoing queries in relation to 12 applications,” Minister Heydon said.
“A total of €2,538,400 has been paid on 268 applications representing 1,015 hectares up to 4 February 2025,” he added.
A total of €268,375 has been paid out to ash growers in Tipperary to date, the highest payment per county, while just over €212,000 has been paid to growers in Clare.
At the other end of the scale, €5,100 has been paid out to growers in Donegal and €5,875 has been paid out in Sligo.
Carbon
“Clearing and re-establishing these plantations will deliver for carbon sequestration, by replacing dead sites with vibrant, healthy ones, and for farm family incomes through the €5,000 per hectare Climate Action Performance Payment," Minister Hackett said at the launch of the scheme.
A total of 1,900ha were eligible for the first installment of the scheme. If all hectares are applied for, this creates a potential payment of €4.75m.
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