Government Issues Final Warning on Ash Dieback Compensation Scheme
Minister Healy-Rae has delivered a stark ultimatum to Irish farmers: engage with the ash dieback reconstitution scheme before December 2027 or forfeit compensation entirely. With over 7,000 hectares of affected land still unprocessed, the message from government is clear - use it or lose it.
Progress and Remaining Challenges
The reconstitution scheme has made significant headway, with 8,844 hectares representing 55% of the total 16,000-hectare national ash plantation either paid out, approved, or currently being processed. However, this leaves substantial areas where landowners have yet to engage with the Department of Agriculture.
"In December of 2027, we will be cutting off the support," Minister Healy-Rae confirmed. "That tells people they have 24 months to once and for all make up their mind what they're going to do. Don't come looking for compensation then."
Compensation Package Details
The current scheme offers landowners €10,000 per hectare, broken down as follows:
- €2,000 for clearing dead trees
- €3,000 for replanting
- €5,000 tax-free payment directly to the landowner
For a farmer with 10 hectares of decimated ash, walking away from the scheme means forfeiting €100,000. "It's going to be a massive loss to them and their families," the Minister warned, urging farmers to look beyond the "dead trees standing" and embrace what he termed a "very adequate" package.
Sinn Féin Raises Rural Concerns
Sinn Féin Agriculture Spokesperson Martin Kenny challenged the Minister on the broader crisis facing rural communities. Deputy Kenny highlighted the "lifetime of loss" confronting farmers following recent devastating storms and the ongoing ash dieback crisis.
Kenny painted a concerning picture of rural Ireland's mood, noting that landowners who viewed forestry as a "pension fund" now face a "tangled mess" of fallen Sitka Spruce. Unlike crop failures or disease outbreaks that can be recovered from within years, storm-felled forests represent generational setbacks.
"It's a permanent change of land use," Kenny observed, "and people are saying 'not anymore' when they see what has happened."
Government Response to Criticism
Minister Healy-Rae rejected what he termed "negativity," countering with statistics showing afforestation figures actually rising despite 2025's storms. "More people planted new ground last year than the year before. They knew what happened to others, and they still elected to give over their land."
When Kenny highlighted high clearing costs and poor pulpwood prices leaving farmers with minimal returns, the Minister pointed to a €55 million reconstitution fund designed to cover replanting expenses. "Take it up with God if you have an issue with the storm," Healy-Rae quipped, emphasizing that government support means farmers need not reinvest timber sales into replanting.
Time Running Out
With 24 months remaining before the scheme closes, the Minister's message was uncompromising. "Time is more valuable than money," he stated. "It is a lot better to be looking at a small tree growing than an old tree dying. For goodness sake, why let time go?"
The scheme's structure remains firm despite concerns about upfront costs for smaller landowners, with the Minister suggesting farmers utilize common practices of mandating grants to forestry companies for initial works.