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Tom Hayes, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for forestry, confirmed today that the terms and conditions of the current Forest Road Scheme will continue to apply to applications financially approved up to and including 30 June 2014, with 31 March 2014 being the deadline for submission of applications under the current Scheme.

Responding to inquiries as to the current status of the Scheme, Minister Hayes advised that the position was as previously advised by him on 11 February 2014 when he announced the formal confirmation from the European Commission of the prolongation of the State aid approval for the Forestry Programme which facilitated the re-opening of the Afforestation and other support schemes, including roads, pending the development of new Schemes under the new Forestry Programme 2014-2020.

Minister Hayes added that a circular had issued from his Department on 3 February 2014 advising registered foresters and forestry companies who act on behalf of applicants about the re-opening of the Forest Road Scheme and giving notice of the closure of this grant scheme to new applications as and from 1 April 2014.

Under the State Aid rules, applications under the Forest Roads Scheme approved after 1 July 2014 will be subject to new terms and conditions which have yet to be finalised.

Referring to the interim period, between 1 April and 1 July 2014, the Minister concluded “the interim period should facilitate the approval of a significant number of applications. While every effort will be made by my officials, the number that can be approved will depend on the timely receipt of responses from relevant parties so it is not possible to guarantee that the processing of any particular application will be complete by 30th June 2014”.

Information on the current Forest Roads Scheme and relevant industry circulars documenting changes to scheme conditions is available on the Department’s website - www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/grantandpremiumschemes/