The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has granted 522 licenses under the Reconstitution of Ash Dieback Scheme so far this year, covering 1,900ha.
The current Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme 2023-2027 was established last year and follows on from the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback) 2020, and the Interim Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback 2023.
Ash forest owners are eligible to receive the additional Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP) of €5,000/ha when their sites have been cleared and they have carried out replanting, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme.
Since the scheme opened, there has been 726 licenses issued and 2,740ha covered, according to the latest forestry licensing dashboard.
The dashboard also shows that under the Woodland Improvement Scheme (WIS), 118 licenses have been issued so far this year, covering 557ha.
A further two licenses were issued under the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme, bringing the total number of licenses this year to six, accounting for 45ha.
There was a slight increase in planting and afforestation licensing, with 13 more licenses issued last week, bringing the total number of licenses issued for the year to 293, which accounts for 2,423ha.
The Social, Economic and Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland (SEEFA) said that the number afforestation licenses is “far from what is needed”.
“Before last week, to reach 8,000ha of planting, we would need to average over 304ha per week for the rest of the year, whereas last week, we managed just 40.
“Similarly, afforestation licences would need to average 240ha per week, and last week barely managed 40% of that,” SEEFA stated.
SEEFA also described the progress last week on road construction and felling as “subpar”.
A total of 638 private felling licenses and 485 Coillte felling licenses were issued so far in 2024.
The dashboard also shows that there has been 37km of forestry roads constructed so far this this year.