Michael Healy-Rae, Minister of State with responsibility for forestry welcomed the budget allocation of €93m for the forestry sector, which equates to a 5.7% increase on the 2025 allocation.

“This funding will support and give further confidence to the forestry sector,” he said.

“I am optimistic that at least 3,000ha will be planted in 2026 with further lands being made available for planting by public bodies,” he added.

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“To date this year, 2,258ha are planted and paid for, which compares to 1,500ha for the full 2024 calendar year.”

Minister Healy-Rae said the funding will also support landowners who faced the unprecedented challenges of storms Eowyn and Darragh in the form of a reconstitution scheme, as well as the continued challenges of ash dieback through our various supports.

Mark McAuley of Forest Industries Ireland and Donal Whelan of the Irish Timber Growers Association welcomed the decision to expand the scope of farm restructuring tax relief to include woodlands and forestry.

“The association is also encouraged by the positivity shown by the Minister and DAFM in increasing the forestry budget in the longer term,” Whelan added.

He outlined the association's ambition that the forestry vote would be of a scale where it represents considerably more than 4% of the overall Department of Agriculture €2.3bn budget.