Approximately 10,000 foresters will receive premium increases of between 15 and 30 per cent within the next week, as a result of lengthy national and EU negotiations.
Minister for State at the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Hugh Byrne, made the announcement today following recent discussions with the European Commission in Brussels.
Mr Byrne said the Government’s decision to implement the increases - 30 per cent for those who had planted their land between 1993 and 1999, and 15 per cent for afforestation dating between 1989 and 1993 - was massively important for the industry.
Mr Byrne also said the way was now open to review premium rates agreed for 1993-1999 planting in line with any increases secured for post-2000 planting.
The Minister said the Government had now "put its money where its mouth is in providing funding and in doing so has given a huge vote of confidence to the forestry sector".
Mr Donal Whelan of the Irish Timber Growers Association said the group welcomed the announcement, which he said it had been lobbying the Government for over the last year.
Mr Whelan acknowledged that Mr Byrne had worked "quite hard" negotiating with the Government on the matter and said that now the whole forestry sector must look to the future.