The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed that there has been 61 applications submitted under the €55 million Reconstitution Scheme for Windblown Forests as of yesterday (Wednesday, May 20).

The scheme opened for applications on April 15, and is targeted towards forest owners who suffered damage to their plantations from Storm Darragh and Storm Éowyn last year.

The scheme is aimed at providing financial aid to impacted private forest owners for replanting their land with either conifer or broadleaf species, or a mixture of both.

The department confirmed to Agriland that since the scheme opened for applications on April 15, there have been 61 applications submitted for approval, with 50 of those applications coming just in the last two weeks.

In response to a parliamentary questions from TD Carol Nolan, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said that only one of these applications has been approved so far; although the minister said that the department is "is actively prioritising the requisite administrative and inspectorate checks".

Once the areas approved by the department have been fully replanted, the applicant and their registered forester can then apply for payment of the grant.

The department confirmed that it has received no requests for payments as yet.

As spokesperson for the department said: "We encourage all private forest owners affected to avail of this comprehensive reconstitution scheme which will be vital in helping landowners to restore their forests' potential."

In a statement to Agriland, Minister Heydon reiterated that the department has "made every effort to keep the application as straightforward as possible, with clear guidance and supporting material".

"Landowners who have already replanted, or are in the process of doing so, are eligible to apply for this scheme retrospectively once they satisfy the qualifying criteria," Minister Heydon said.

Those comments come as Deputy Nolan raised concerns over what she claimed is the "slow rollout" of the scheme and its "extremely low uptake".

She called on Minister Heydon to "fast-track all applications; simplify the process if necessary and where possible; and ensure that payments begin immediately so that affected forest owners can begin recovery".