Minister for Finance said in this Tuesday's Budget 2019 announcement that funding would exceed €100m for "grants and premium rates for forestry".

  • Amount: €103.5m
  • Government accounts for 2017 show that afforestation grants and premiums fell to a total of €93m. If used in full, next year's allocation would show a substantial recovery in afforestation after falls in recent years.
  • A mid-term review of the forestry programme earlier this year increased grants and premiums for a range of plantations. The increased allocation reflects hope that the new rates will increase uptake.
  • An IFA calculation shows that the increased budget could achieve the Forestry Programme targets of 8,000ha of new plantings and the construction of 125km of new forest roads.

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