Minister Pippa Hackett has announced a public call for projects which support and highlight the environmental, social and economic benefits of woodlands, forests and timber products under the Woodland Support Fund.

Funding will be allocated by the Department of Agriculture by means of an open competition under the fund. The fund is valued at €1 million and projects are to be delivered by the end of 2022.

Announcing the call, Minister of State Hackett said: “We are looking for projects and proposals which deal with all aspects of woodland and forestry, and highlight all their benefits from economic, to wellbeing, to the environment.

"I want to harness that enthusiasm again to promote a greater understanding of the multi-functional benefits of our woodlands.”

The four themes identified on which applications are invited from any group or individual are as follows:

The minister continued: “We have a relatively low level of woodland cover in Ireland compared to other European countries, so there is huge potential to develop and grow many more trees to enable us and future generations to enjoy their benefits.

"So I am really looking forward to seeing innovative projects, across all themes, which will highlight how, as a society, we can gain from sustainable woodland creation and management.”

The specification document is available to view online. Applications can be emailed to [email protected].

The closing date for applications is 5:00pm on Monday, May 24.