mawaskow/irish_forestry_incentives huggingface dataset:
The Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs will continue to engage with the Local Authorities to ensure that the Action Plan for Rural Development is capturing any gaps at a strategic level and is supporting the implementation of the LECPsOverview12Rural Ireland Today Population Distribution The CEDRA report defined rural Ireland as “all areas located beyond the administrative boundaries of the five largest cities”.
Head of the holding is defined as being registered o n a herd in sole name for the first time or being registered jointly by addition to an existing herd for the first time, or where the herd on which the farmer is registered to for the first time joins a legal person, or group of natural or legal persons.
Loan amounts from €25,000 to a maximum of €3,000,000 per eligible applicant.
The aim of Rural Social Scheme is to provide income support to low-income farmers and to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities.
National initiatives, such as the Future Growth Loan Scheme, supports strategic long-term capital investment by providing competitively priced loan instruments under favourable terms.
The unique characteristic of the Scheme is that loans up to €500,000 are unsecured, making it a viable source of finance for young and new entrant farmers, especially the cohort who do not have high levels of security.
–Improve rural transport links through a review of services, support for our regional airports and investment in rural infrastructure.
While the Plan will be rolled out on a progressive basis, the Government will take immediate action to accelerate and facilitate both broadband roll out and improvements to mobile phone reception in rural areas by implementing the recommendations of the report of the Taskforce on Mobile Phone and Broadband Access4The actions detailed below cover not just the implementation of the National Broadband Plan but also the preparations for rollout, setting out the Government’s approach to overcoming potential obstacles to works and for ensuring that rural communities are best positioned to capitalise on full access to the digital environmentPillar 5: Improving Rural Infrastructure and ConnectivityKey Objectives:• Bring high speed broadband to every premises in Ireland through the rollout of the National Broadband Plan and improve mobile phone access in rural areas• Improve rural transport links through a review of services, support for our regional airports and investment in rural infrastructure • Implement flood relief measure s and other land management measures to protect our rural infrastructure4.
Action Timeline Responsible Bodies248 Progress the major roads projects detailed in the 7 year transport element of the Capital Investment Plan which will help deliver economic and business benefits across rural areas and regionsOngoing DTTAS, Transport Infrastructure Ireland249 Improve transport services for the off-shore islands to support the sustainable and inclusive development of island communities and to encourage tourism and other economic benefits, including improved co-ordination with relevant Local Authorities and DTTAS as appropriate2017-2019 DAHRRGA, Service Providers, LAs, DTTAS250 Continue capital investment in island piers and harbours 2017-2019 DAHRRGA, LAs251 Conduct a full review of public transport policy, including the rural transport dimension, to ensure that it meets the needs of rural communities2017 DTTAS, NTA252 Work with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new rural transport routes as necessaryOngoing NTA253 Rollout a programme of awareness of the Rural Transport Programme amongst rural communitiesOngoing NTA254 Ensure that Rural Transport Programme vehicles are accessible, having regard to all passenger needsOngoing from 2017 NTA58No.
Funding under the RDP is made available to all farming sectors, and supports Community Led Local Development by means of Programme LEADERRural Economic Development ZonesRural Economic Development Zones are defined as sub county zones within which most people live and work, REDZ are functional rather than administrative geographic areas that reflect the spatial patterns of local economic activities and development processes.
However, an overall decrease in lending to the agricultural sector, particularly in relation to long and medium -term loans, has limited the ability of some farmers to i nvest further.
Young farmers in particular face difficulties when trying to access finance due to their inability to provide appropriate collateral to banks and due to their lack of credit history, making them high risk.
Without access to credit from banks, young farmers are unable to invest in the necessary factors of production to either develop their own farm enterprise or incre ase the productivity and profitability of their existing farm enterprise; and this hinders their overall growth potential.
The Future Growth Loan Scheme is a long -term loan (7 -10 years) that is offered by the SBCI with the support of the Department o f Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund (EIF).
Obj8N2 - Improve infrastructure and access to services in rural areas including broadband Town and Village and Renewal Scheme 2021: This is part of ‘Our Rural Future – Rural Development Policy 2021 -2025’.
A series of new and targeted funding schemes have been implemented such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, CLÁR, the Walks Scheme and the Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Scheme, all of which are administered by the Departme nt of Rural and Community Development (DRCD).
The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) defined rural Ireland as ‘all areas located beyond the administrative boundaries of the five largest cities’ - therefore the term ‘rural areas’ was used to encompass ope n countryside, as well as small, medium and large towns.
Number of supported operational programmes Sectoral - Fruit and Vegetables HARIN(47(2)(i)) - harvest and production insurance that contrib utes to safeguarding producers' incomes where there are losses as a consequence of natural disasters, adverse climatic events, diseases or pest infestations while ensuring that beneficiaries take necessary risk prevention measures 52FVPO13 - Harvest and Pr oduction Insurance O35.
Only the AECM Cooperation Measure EN 104 EN however contributes to addressing Obj4N4 (encouraging Climate Adaptation), as this measure targets predefined priority areas tha t are more susceptible to adverse impacts of climate change.
The target value for this result indicator is defined as the number of operations supported under the scheme.
It does so through the provision of grant aid on investments for technologies and equipment such as solar panels and Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) equipment.
It further provides support for precision grass measurement equipment, rainwater harvesting and storage, solar panels, heat recovery units, heat pumps, biomass boilers, ventilation and insulation, which decrease energy pressure on farms and improve water quality on farms (Obj5N2).
The margins of the defined areas can be grazed but only during certain times period, in order to maintain areas throughout the winter for hibernating insect s. These insects also enhance soil quality, further addressing Obj5N3.
Projects under LEADER will be selected based on how they relate to predefined themes.
The SWOT analysis further noted the importance of keeping Ireland's drinking water free of pesticides and noted that the current control system for pesticide usage is insufficient, with few inspections being carried out on the equipment in use and many pesticide operators lacking training and certification.
This funding is focused on seven group water schemes catchments that fall within, or close to, current Priority Areas for Action defined in Ireland’s 2nd RBMP.
Ireland is committed to setting an ambitious, achievable national value to be achieved within a defined timeframe, and discussions are ongoing in the context of Irela nd’s iNAP2 - Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021 -2025.
A key element to drive success in this regard will be the AECM Co -operation Projects proposed for defined high-priority areas as part of the CSP.
Eight co -operation project areas have been defined in areas of high semi -natural habitat and these will be managed thr ough Co-operation Projects through locally -led results -based payments schemes which will be designed by dedicated Project Teams to reflect the specific habitat and species requirements at a local level and in line with the Prioritised Action Framework (PAF ) 2021.
Eight co -operation project areas have been defined in areas of high semi -natura l habitat and these will be managed through Co -operation Projects.
EN 229 EN Under AECM Cooperation eight Cooperation Areas have been defined.
Ireland proposes to apply GAEC 2 from 2024 onwards as a lead time is required to define and map the areas involved.
Farmers outside the defined high -priority areas outlined above will be able to join AECM General.
A key element to drive success will be the AEC M Co -operation Projects proposed for defined high -priority areas.
Article 12 applies with regard to restrictions on the use of pesticides in protected areas defined on the basis of the Water Framework Directive and Natura 2000 legislation.
Fully subscribed, the loan scheme loaned over €145m to in excess of 4,000 farmers.
Therefore, the OFCIS, which provides financial assistance to purchase such equipment, addresses this need (Obj8N1).
Without this support, farmers might not be willing to buy, or be able to afford farm safety equipment.
It will also support investment in equipment such as Ring Rollers and Haulm Toppers to reduce relian ce on PPPs .
This scheme operates on an annual basis and in recent years has provided support for speci alised investments that reduce pesticide use such as equipment for mechanical weed control and GPS controlled sprayers as well as automatic steering equipment.
In these years, the Capital Investment Scheme will contribute to addressing Obj5N2 by providing support for investments in nutrient storage facilities, LESS equipment and precision farming eq uipment.
Where the percentage is 10% or higher, that will give farmers greater credit in Ireland’s Eco Scheme.
The Future Growth Loan Scheme, developed in partnership with the European Investment Fund (EIF), provides a source of finance for young farmers who may not have high levels of security and has been in high demand.
The Future Growth Loan Scheme (FGLS) is a long-term loan facility (7 -10 years) providing €800 million in investment loan funding to SMEs and small mid-caps, including farmers and fishers.
Microfinance Ireland supports micro -enterprises, including farmers with loan finance, providing an important resource for micro enterprises who are finding it difficult to access finance through banks and other commercial lenders.
The Brexit Impact Loan Scheme (BILS) provides loans to Brexit -impacted Irish businesses for working capital, investmen t and re -financing.
Specific restrictions with respect to courses of treatment and wit hdrawal periods are defined.
This GAEC aims to preserve permanent grasslan d and puts a ceiling on conversion to arable areas 31012 GAEC 2: Protection of wetland and peatland 310121 Summary of the on -farm practice Application of this GAEC is foreseen from claim year 2024 onwards, the description of the on -farm requirements and the types of agricultural areas present in the designated areas will be provided in an updated version of the CAP Strategic Plan prior to the first year of application of the GAEC 310122 Year of application of the GAEC Please select year: 2024 Justification Ireland proposes this GAEC will be applicable from 2024 onwards as a lead time is required to define and map these areas.
Finally, it will define a prototype for Earth Observation (EO) based monitoring of peatland/wetlands.
Consequently, those areas which are subject to buffer requirements, as defined under current the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP for Prot ection of Waters Regulations, include the following watercourses: (a) any (or any part of any) river, stream, lake, canal, reservoir, aquifer, pond, watercourse, or other inland waters, whether natural or artificial, (b) any tidal waters, an d EN 316 EN (c) where the context permits, any beach, riverbank and salt marsh or other area which is contiguous to anything mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b), and the channel or bed of anything mentioned in paragraph (a) which is for the time being dry, but does not include a sewer.
Similarly, under conditionality, Ireland extends the SMR 1 and SMR 2 buffer areas, based on the above GAP definition of water courses, to GAEC 4 310214 Type of farmers concerned All farmers with land adjacent to a watercourse(s ) as defined in Section 310213 above 310215 Explanation of the contribution to achieve the main objective of the GAEC standard The main objective of this standard is: the protection of river courses against pollution and run -off.
-Use suitable vehicles and machinery to avoid rutting during periods of wet weather Other requirements -Avoid inappropriate land reclamation works, and other works, which lead to inadequate soil and ground cover 310322 Territorial scope All agricultural land as set out under the summary of the on -farm practice in Section 310321 above 310323 Type of farmers concerned All farmers that have agricultural land as defined under the summary of the on -farm p ractice in Section 310321 above 310324 Explanation of the contribution to achieve the main objective of the GAEC standard The main objective of this standard is: the protection of soils in periods that are most sensitive.
·Commercial loan taken out to finance and or top up mutual funds shall not have duration longer than the operational programme concerned.
Under a multiannual scheme a farmer would have to select the minimum amount of area which he will be guaranteed to have available in a given crop each year (ie barley) rather than having flexibility to adjust this amount in accor dance with good rotation/diversification practices.
For Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment the maximum is €16,000 for a tanker, the umbilical pump, reel and pipes based on a grant rate of 40% and indicative investment ceiling is €40,000 per EN 639 EN holding.
The Minister in their capacity as Competent Authority shall appoint staff in a dedic ated finance unit delegate functions to Ministry staff to carry out the following tasks: • Carrying out a review of the existing accreditation status of the designated paying agency DAFM referred to in Article 9(2)8 HZR; • designating and withdrawing the desig nation of a certification body as referred to in Article 12 and ensuring that there is always a certification body designated.
Within Finance Division there is a separate independent unit that acts on behalf of the Minister in his capacity as the Competent Authority for a single , in issuing, reviewing and withdrawing the accreditation of the Paying Agency in Ireland which is The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine , and designating and withdrawing the designation of the Certification Body.
Accreditation at farm -level is provided to ISO: 17065 and Carbon Trust (PAS 2050), while food and drink manufacturers are independently verified by international auditors, Mabbett.
Projects must promote, support, or advance at least one of the seven pillars: Digital Skills, Infrastructure, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Digital Economy and Employment, Digital Services, Community and Culture and Digital Transition.
LEADER may provide support rates greater than 65% in accordance with Article 73(4) (c)(ii) where investments include basic services in rural areas and infrastructure in agriculture and forestry , as determined by Member States; Additional explanation Non applicable
The associated training will educate farmers on how to appropriately implement the actions of the scheme; thereby equippi ng them with the knowledge and skills necessary to optimise delivery and continue the ongoing management of the commitments undertaken; as well as to facilitate the implementation of high welfare practices
Support under this category will include aid for Organic Farming, Health and Safety equipment and investments that support specific environmental/climate benefits
Lau nched in 2017, the Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme provided low -cost flexible working capital finance to farmers.
·A PO may finance or top up a mutual fund by way of a commercial loan, in order to support payment of compensation to PO member(s).
HARIN(47(2)(i)) - harvest and production insurance that contributes to safeguarding producers' incomes where there are losses as a consequence of natural disasters, adverse climatic events, diseases or pest infe stations while ensuring that beneficiaries take necessary risk prevention measures
Interest repayments on loans are also eligible for EU aid.
For Partnership applications an indicative investment ceiling wil l be applied of €160,000 per holding 4Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment - It is proposed to have a 50% grant rate for LESS spreading attachments and a 40% grant rate for mobile tanker and the umbilical pump, reel and pipes.
For Organic Farmers/Farm Safety Equipment/Investments delivering specific environmental/climate benefits the maximum is €45,000 based on an indicative investment ceiling of €90,000 @ 50% grant rate.
·Maximum upper variation (%) or maximum amount, where applicable (% or EUR): €5,055 is the average and €132,000 is the maximum payable, this could be achieved by a young farmer partnership completing an approved investment to the maximum value of €160,000 (60% rate) and also completi ng an approved Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment approved investment to the maximum of €60,000 (60% grant rate) €5,055 is the average unit amount per investment based on experience seen in TAMS II.
The activities likely to be designated as being ineligible include conventional retail operations (excluding community based shops and farm shops selling locally produced produce), primary agricultural activities, fisheries, horticulture (including bee -keeping), loans, working capital and forestry.
• Managing any delegated functions and drawing up formal Memorandum of Understanding with the delegated body and monitoring com pliance • Internal Audit Unit which provides i ndependent objective assurance on controls and compliance with accreditation criteria.
With increasing urbanisation, river restoration and the use of Green Infrastructure are vital measures for improving and maintaining rivers in our towns and cities for future generations.
Surminski (2017) argues that insurers have a crucial role to play in climate change adaptation but that greater collaboration is requiredThis may be addressed by better information sharing between insurers, agencies such as the OPW and local authorities facilitating improved risk modelling and the charging of premiums which more accurately reflect a household’s risk level, for exampleInformation platforms such as Climate Ireland can help address both of these issues by providing insures with more accurate information on households risk level eg through flood mapping while also supporting households in taking actions to lower their risk levelA potential economic opportunity for Ireland is the adaptation economy.
In partnership with Government, it can therefore play an important role in collecting and disseminating data on weather and catastrophe risk, financing risk assessments, and supporting the design and provision of insurance schemes.
Follow-up foliage sampling and subsequent foliar analysis carried out by an accredited laboratory will enable a competent person to identify whether or not fertilisation is required, and if so, the appropriate prescription.
Furthermore, the licence holder should also inform the relevant District Forestry Inspector of the exact day of the operation, to allow his / her presence onsiteWhere separate applications of P and N are being carried out under the same licence, each application must be preceded by a separate Aerial Fertilisation Commencement Form (see Figure 1, page 13)Aerial Fertilisation Requirements15Operational detailsNote, the Registered Forester is required to be present during the aerial fertilisation operationLicence holders should only engage helicopter operators who have professional expertise in the area of aerial fertilisation, and who are fully equipped with the necessary specialist equipment, including a Global Positioning System (GPS) to guide and record flight paths, and a specialised aerial hopper.
The inventory should clearly indicate the plots to be treated, and detail the corresponding area, species composition, planting year, DBH, Top Height and Yield Class for each, along with details of any previous fertiliser application(s) applied ¾A report from an accredited laboratory setting out the results of the foliar analysis ¾A report setting out the recommendations from a competent person (such as a Registered Forester with experience in assessing forest nutrient deficiency), outlining the proposed fertiliser prescription based on the foliar analysis, the type of fertiliser to be used, the concentration of fertiliser, and the rate of fertiliser application per net hectare.
See example overleaf ¾Where pre- and post-water grab sampling is stipulated as a licensing condition by the Forest Service (see Section 4), a copy of the report provided by the accredited laboratory is required, setting out the results and interpretation of the analysis undertaken on the collected samples ¾Where, in accordance with the licence issued, the operation was carried out within a Hen Harrier SPA during the breeding season 1st April to 15th August inclusive, a map and a pilot declaration must be provided, confirming that the flight time spent traversing the SPA to and from the site of the operation was minimised, and that the flying altitude throughout this traverse was maintained at no less than 1,300 feet / 400 metres above ground level.
See the Forest Service Forestry Standards & Procedures Manual for further detailsAfter collection, each sample should be sent without delay to an accredited laboratory (as detailed in the Forestry Standards & Procedures Manual ) and analysed for basic chemistry (including pH, Total P , Ortho P , ammonia, nitrate and K).
The approach also creates opportunities for restructuring forest properties to break up otherwise even-aged blocks of forestry ¾Due to the small stem diameters and (potentially) greater quantities of brash, clearfell less intensive in nature, with less potential risk to waterManagement issues ¾The quantity of recoverable timber depends, inter alia , on crop age ¾Fell-to-waste may be an option in younger stands ¾Ensure the type of harvesting and extraction equipment used is matched to tree size, and focus on the use of lighter machinery onsite, where possibleOVER-MATURE CLEARFELLMay be appropriate on certain MODERATE and HIGH RISK sites, where windblow is not a factor.