Forestry planting grants to rise 14%

FORESTRY planting grants are to be increased, Minister of State Mary Wallace has announced.

Confirming she had secured European Commission agreement, she said the current grants would increase by an average 14.4%.

The maximum grants available will now range from €3,573 per hectare for the most usual form of conifer planting (20% diverse) and up to €7,604 per hectare for beech.

Ms Wallace said that she would keep the cost structure under review.

The increased grant rates will be paid in respect of new planting completed after September 1, 2006, and will be of benefit to those planting in the autumn/winter planting season.

She said the grant increases were evidence of the Government’s ongoing commitment to forestry.

Meanwhile, Ms Wallace has predicted that wood biomass, more than any other renewable energy source, will play a major role in Ireland’s climate change strategy and contribute to creating sustainable employment.

She was speaking at the County Clare Wood Energy Project, which is being carried out by Rural Resource Development Ltd (RRD Ltd) and Teagasc, with financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture and Food.

The project aims to develop a market for wood energy in Co Clare by supporting and encouraging local businesses to switch to wood energy heating systems and facilitating farm forest growers in the county to work together to supply the wood energy, in the form of woodchip.