Afforestation Scheme

The Afforestation Scheme provides financial support to encourage people to develop and manage sustainable forests.

The aim of the scheme is to increase Ireland’s forest cover from 11% to 18% by 2027 to help counteract climate change. Planting trees is one way to mitigate climate change, as trees and forests absorb greenhouse gases.

The Afforestation Scheme runs from 2023 to 2027. Under the scheme, you can plant different types of forests depending on the type of land you have. The amount of money you get depends on the size and type of forest you plant.

To qualify for the scheme and get the payments, you must meet these criteria:

• You must be over 18
• You must have a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) or a company registration number (CRN) if you’re applying for a company
• You must own, lease or be a joint manager of the land you plan to plant on when you apply. You must have documents to prove this. There are exceptions to this rule in certain circumstances.
• You must follow the rules of the scheme
• You must establish and maintain a type of forest that is covered by the scheme

There are 12 different types of forests that qualify for the scheme.

• FT1 – Native forests
• FT2 – Forests for water
• FT3 – Forest creation on public lands
• FT4 – NeighbourWoods
• FT5 – Emergent forest and rewilding
• FT6 – Broadleaf (mainly oak and beech trees)
• FT7 – Diverse broadleaf
• FT8 – Agroforestry
• FT9 – Seed orchards
• FT10 – Continuous cover forestry (CCF)
• FT11 - Mixed high forests: diverse Conifer, minimum 20% broadleaves
• FT12 - Mixed high forests with Sitka Spruce, minimum 20% broadleaves

You can find information on what can be planted for each forest type in the Afforestation Scheme 2023-2027 Document (pdf).

The amount of money you get depends on the type of forest you plant.

The grant is split into 2 separate main payments. You claim the first payment after you’ve planted the trees to cover this cost. This payment is worth 75% of the overall grant. You claim your second payment 4 years after planting, once you have successfully established your forest. This is 25% of the overall grant.

You also get yearly premiums. The value and number of premiums you get depends on the type of forest you plant and if you are a farmer.

There may also be additional payments for certain types of forests. For example, the ‘Forests on public lands' grant includes extra money to install trails, seats and signs. You may also be able to get an additional allowance for fencing.

You need to hire a registered forester to submit your application for you. Gov.ie have a list of registered foresters and forestry companies.

There are a number of steps involved in getting started on the scheme.

1. Contact a farm advisor

Contact your local Teagasc advisor or farm advisor to discuss the scheme with them. They will tell you if your land is suitable for planting a forest and how this scheme will impact any other farming payments you are getting. You can find a list of farm advisors on gov.ie.

2. Contact a registered forester and apply for an afforestation licence

Contact a registered forester to help with your application and the process.

Your registered forester can submit your afforestation licence application, which you need for this scheme.

You should contact several forester companies to find one that works for you. Gov.ie have a list of registered foresters. Once you have chosen your registered forester, you should sign a contract with them and hire a solicitor.

3. Plan your forest and submit your application for technical approval

Your registered forester submits your application for technical approval for the Afforestation Scheme with you.

You may need to submit an environmental report or an Appropriate Assessment Pre-Screening Report with the application.

At this stage, you need to decide if you want the forester to manage planting, establishing and maintaining your forest for the first 4 years, or if you would prefer to do it yourself.

You may also need to get an ecologist to do an ecological assessment and report.

4. Apply for financial support and begin planting

Once you get written technical approval with an afforestation licence your registered forester can apply for financial approval. One you get financial approval, you can begin planting.

5. Get paid the grant

The grant is split into 2 payments. You get the first payment after you plant your trees.

You get your second payment after 4 years, when you have successfully established your forest.

You need to apply to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for each payment. The amount you get paid depends on the tree species you use and the soil types.

Environmental reports and assessments

Environmental process for areas of 50 hectares or more

If your planned forest is on 50 hectares of land or more, you need to submit an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with your application for technical approval for the Afforestation Scheme.

The EIS should outline any environmental impact that might be caused by your proposed planting and the steps you plan to take to minimise these. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will then do an Environmental Impact Assessment as part of your application process.

Environmental process for areas of less than 50 hectares

If your planned forest is less than 50 hectares, there is an environmental impact assessment screening process at the pre-approval stage when you apply for your afforestation licence. This will determine if your project is likely to have a significant effect on the local environment. This is done by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

If the Department decides that your planned planting area could have a large environmental impact, you will have to submit an EIS so the Department to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Appropriate Assessment Pre-Screening Report

An Appropriate Assessment Pre-Screening Report lets you and your registered forester know if your planned forest is going to impact a Special Protection Area (SPA) or a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which may affect if your planned forest is approved.

If the report shows that your planned forest won’t have an impact on these areas, you can submit this report as part of your application. If it shows that the forest will have an impact on these areas, you can submit a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) with your application and your Appropriate Assessment Pre-Screening Report, outline how you plan to avoid causing a negative impact on the areas.

You can access this report template (docx) on gov.ie.

You or your registered forester can appeal decisions made by the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine about:

• Your application for an afforestation licence at pre-approval stage
• A grant
• A premium
• A penalty

Appealing a decision about an afforestation licence

If your application for an afforestation licence is refused, you can appeal the decision to the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC).

You must submit a Notice of Appeal form to the FAC by post, along with a fee of €200. This must be received by the FAC within 14 days of getting the decision about your licence from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Appealing a decision about a grant, premium or penalty

If you want to appeal a decision about a grant payment, premium payment or penalty you must write to the Agriculture Appeals Office. You can find information about The Agriculture Appeals Office has information about the procedure for appealing these decisions.

When the Department gets an application for the Afforestation Scheme, they post a public notice on their website. This includes the:

• Application contract number
• Location of the proposed forest
• Size of the proposed forest

Applications that need an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) may also have notices of the application, the EIS and any other major information submitted to local or national newspapers.

You can view forestry licences and applications using the Forestry Licence Viewer.

Making submissions or observations on an afforestation application

Anyone can make a submission or observation on an afforestation application. You must make a submission within 30 days of the notice about the application being published on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s website.

If the Department receives a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) or if they complete an Appropriate Assessment Report, there will be a second 30-day consultation period.

The fee for making a submission is €20. This fee is non-refundable, regardless of the final decision on the licence application.

You must make your submission or request for more information in writing. Your submission must include your:

• Name
• Address
• Email or phone number

You can upload your submission to the Forestry Licence Viewer. Once you upload your submission, it will be available for others to view, along with your name and address.

You can also make your submission by email or post.

• By post: Approvals Section, Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford
• By email: forestrysubmission@agriculture.gov.ie

Submissions must be received before 4pm on the date indicated on the notice, otherwise they won’t be accepted.

There is an FAQ with more information on the scheme on gov.ie (pdf).

If you have any queries about your pre-approval application or grant applications and payments, you can contact the email addresses listed below:

• Pre-approvals and application procedures: forestryappenq@agriculture.gov.ie
• First grant and first premium: forestry.1stgrant@agriculture.gov.ie
• Following premiums: forestry.premiums@agriculture.gov.ie
• Second grant: forestry.2ndgrant@agriculture.gov.ie
• Felling licences: felling.forestservice@agriculture.gov.ie

You can find a list of registered foresters on gov.ie.

You can find a list of farm advisors on gov.ie.

Gov.ie also have useful information on forest health, forestry regulation and more.