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Agriland
03-08-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Almost E440000 Issued Under Horticulture Investment Scheme
Scheme opened in wake of unprecedented levels of damage from Storm Éowyn. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has paid out around€440,000 under the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector this year. The scheme aims to help in the development of the Irish horticulture sector, including beekeeping, by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment. The scheme reopened for applications in February following Storm Éowyn which resulted in unprecedented levels of damage for some growers in the horticulture sector. Minister of State with responsibility for horticulture Michael Healy-Rae recently told Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness that a total of 164 applications had been approved by July 17, resulting in €438,645 in payments. However, the minister said this figure does "not represent total amounts for 2025". He also reminded scheme applicants that they have until October 31, 2025 to complete their projects and submit their completed claims for payment. The following table provides an update on the number of approvals and the amounts paid up to July 17 under the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector: County Number of approvals Amount paid to July 17 Carlow 3 €16,400 Cavan 2 - Clare 2 - Cork 12 €18,458 Donegal 6 - Galway 9 - Kerry 8 €1,841 Kildare 8 - Kilkenny 5 €197,200 Laois 2 - Limerick 6 - Longford 2 - Louth 9 - Mayo 1 - Meath 11 €5,103 Monaghan 4 - Offaly 2 - Tipperary 7 - Waterford 5 - Westmeath 3 - Wexford 18 €17,413 Wicklow 5 €8,880 Total 164 €438,645 Source: DAFM The minister also confirmed that €15,859 has been paid out to date under the schemes providing investment aid for innovation and diversification in horticulture These measures provide grant aid for capital investments in specialised plant and equipment to micro and by funding fundamental studies, industrial studies, and experimental development and feasibility studies. So far, the department has approved 13 application for the schemes from counties Cork (2); Dublin (2); Kilkenny (1); Limerick (1); Monaghan (3); Tipperary (2), and Wexford (2). Minister Healy-Rae said that applicants have until November 1, 2025 to complete their approved projects and submit their claim for payment to the department.
Agriland
03-08-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Almost E5 4m Paid Out Under Woodland Improvement Scheme
Grants of up to €1,200/ha are available under the DAFM woodland scheme. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has paid out nearly €5.4 million under the Woodland Improvement Scheme since 2015. The scheme provides a range of supports to forest owners to sustainably manage the potential of their forests, with the aim of fulfilling current and future relevant demands for wood and non-wood products. Under the current Woodland Improvement Scheme, grants of up to €1,200/ha are available for five different measures: Thinning and tending; Agroforestry maintenance; Continuous cover forestry (CCF); Coppice and coppice with standards; and Seed stand management. Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae added that the scheme aims to "support the growing of high quality and high-value round wood timber for the timber industry while also delivering on the provision of ecosystem services such as biodiversity, soil, water protection". The minister recently confirmed to Sinn Féin TD Conor D. McGuinness that a total of €5,394,336 was paid under the Woodland Improvement Scheme in the period from 2015 to June 30, 2025. According to the data, the highest annual amount paid out under the scheme was in 2020 when €745,457 was issued. Last year, some €273,000 was issued to participating forest owners, which is down from the €378,220 paid out in 2023. Up to June 30 this year, a total of €132,769 had been issued to forest owners under the scheme. The following table provides a county-by-county breakdown of how much has been paid out under the Woodland Improvement Scheme from 2015 to June 30, 2025: County WIS total payments Carlow €81,669 Cavan €186,920 Clare €151,985 Cork €469,884 Donegal €75,094 Dublin €19,773 Galway €110,034 Kerry €164,057 Kildare €216,526 Kilkenny €355,467 Laois €231,481 Leitrim €68,535 Limerick €187,953 Longford €95,525 Louth €35,835 Mayo €70,703 Meath €483,524 Monaghan €61,862 Offaly €450,520 Roscommon €51,557 Sligo €56,091 Tipperary €677,019 Waterford €131,370 Westmeath €481,797 Wexford €214,801 Wicklow €264,345 Total €5,394,336 Source: DAFM The data shows that Tipperary was the county with the highest total payment under the scheme since 2015, with €677,000. The Premier County is followed by counties Meath (€483,000), Westmeath (€481,000), Cork (€469,000) and Offaly (€450,000). The lowest payments were made to Dublin (€19,773), Louth (€35,000), and Roscommon (€51,000).
