Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has given an update on the future of the Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme.

Minister Heydon said that while the current Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme 2023-2027 will close to new applications before the end of 2027, payments will continue to be made after that time.

The minister was responding to recent parliamentary questions from Fianna Fáil TD Ryan O'Meara.

Deputy O'Meara asked the minister if the scheme will be extended beyond 2027.

Ash dieback

Minister Heydon said: "Since the first finding of ash dieback in Ireland in 2012, my department has introduced reconstitution schemes to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had suffered from, or which were associated with, plants affected by the disease.

"An Ash Dieback Action Plan was published in 2024 which provided for, among other things, an additional €79.5 million in funding to pay for a new Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP)."

This payment of €5,000 per hectare is available to forest owners who fully engage with the department's reconstitution schemes and carry out replanting, the minister said.

The introduction of the CAPP scheme brought the overall financial package of supports available to ash forest owners to over €230 million.

"In excess of €29.5 million has been expended to date on the reconstitution and CAPP scheme," Minister Heydon said.

"I am pleased to report that since the start of 2024, reconstitution scheme approvals have issued for over 4,650 hectares and payments of more than €18.5million have issued to ash forest owners."

The minister said his department has "stated for some time" that the aim is to deal with ash dieback fully before the end of the current Forestry Programme in 2027.

He added: "My department continues to actively encourage forest owners who have been affected and not yet applied to do so as soon as possible".