FORESTRY premiums of close on €1.5 million have been paid out to Galway recipients in a bulk payment run during the first week of 2025, the Dept. of Agriculture has confirmed.

Several hundred growers from Galway should have received their payments as part of the overall national payout of €24.2 million, announced by Junior Agriculture Minister with Responsibility for Forestry, Pippa Hackett.

Senator Hackett, has welcomed the issuing of annual tax-free forestry premium payments for 2025 adding that over 19,500 farmers were ‘enjoying the benefits that forestry brings to their farm enterprise’.

“I would strongly encourage farmers who might be thinking about planting trees to speak to neighbours who have already done so and to get in touch with a registered forester or a Teagasc Forestry adviser.

“The current Forestry Programme pays at the highest payment rates ever available to forest owners, and there is now an unprecedented range of planting options available from small scale native woodlands to agroforestry, to continuous cover forestry, among many other forest types,” said the Minister of State, whose term of office is due to come an end over the coming week or two.

Galway IFA Forestry Representative, Pat Lyons, told the Farming Tribune, that ‘serious changes’ needed to be made to the new forestry scheme to make it far more user friendly for people interested in joining up.

“The planting restrictions that currently apply to peaty soils and the 20% broadleaf stipulation must be changed by the new Minister of State with responsibility for forestry.

“For example, in parts of Galway and in other parts of the country too, where wild deer are common, the broadleaf trees just won survive – the deer will simply eat off the leaves,” said Pat Lyons.

He said that the ‘Green motivated’ conditions of the new scheme introduced by the current Minister in charge [Pippa Hackett] had made it ‘completely unattractive and unworkable’ for many people who had in interest in growing trees.

Last year, Forest Industries Ireland [FII] warned that the future of forestry in Ireland was in jeopardy with FII having abandoned 394 potential sites [3,140 hectares] due to restrictive regulations regarding planting on peat soils.

Forest owners who have not submitted their online applications so far, can still apply online for their forestry premiums through the Department’s Online Services website (www.agfood.ie).

This facility will remain open during the whole year, and the Department will continue to process on-line applications for 2025 forest premiums as they are received, with payments being issued on a weekly basis.

The grants available under the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme cover the cost of establishing the forest plantation and the payment of an annual forestry premium of up to €1,142 per hectare for periods of up to 20 years. Further information about supports for forestry are available on the Department’s website at: www.gov.ie/agriculture

Pictured: Pat Lyons: New Forestry Minister will be key appointment.