From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Today (Thursday, 5 October) marks National Tree Day, and what better way to celebrate the occasion than by exploring the attractive grant and premium payments on offer for planting trees through Ireland’s new Forestry Programme.
Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett, said:
“This National Tree Day is an ideal time for farmers and landowners to consider adding forestry to their land by applying for one of the many well-funded options under the new Forestry Programme. Annual premium payments and revenue from any timber sales are free from income tax, making forestry an attractive investment now and for the future.
“We all know the wonderful benefits of a walk in the woods, which is why my department is expanding the NeighbourWood Scheme under the new Forestry Programme to support the creation of new public amenity forests and the enhancement of existing forests for public access, education, recreation and health and wellbeing for rural and urban communities. The Programme will also encourage public bodies to create native woodlands on land already owned by them as part of their own environmental objectives around water quality, biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
“The new €1.3 billion Forestry Programme is all about expanding, protecting, and developing Ireland’s forests and the forestry sector. It is a significant milestone and reflects the public’s desire for more trees to be planted, and for forests that meet society’s recreational, economic and environmental needs. The Forestry Programme will deliver multiple benefits for climate, nature, water quality, wood production, rural communities and the wider economy.”
This National Tree Day celebrates the hazel tree through the theme “Nuts about Nature”. Farmers and landowners can plant forests of many different species through the Forestry Programme. The programme covers the 100% of the costs for landowners and farmers to plant on their land and offers annual payments for the following 15 or 20 years.
New afforestation grant and annual payment rates for the Forestry Programme 2023 -2027 are available at gov.ie/forestry along with frequently asked questions, a forestry payment calculator and payment examples.
The new rates represent increases of up to 66% on the previous Forestry Programme 2014-2022.
The Climate Action Plan 2023, launched in December 2022, is the second annual update to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2019. This plan is the first to be prepared under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 and following the introduction of economy-wide carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings. Implementation of the Climate Action Plan will create jobs, new economic opportunities and protect people and the planet.
Ireland's Climate Action 2024 is currently being prepared.