Forest road grant
Up to €66 a metre, 25 metres a hectare
All are part of the Department of Agriculture's Forestry Programme 2023-2027. No work can start until the Department approves it in writing, so apply first and work second.
Quick facts
- Forest road grant
- Up to €66 a metre, 25 metres a hectare
- Thinning grant (WIS Element 1)
- €1,200 a hectare
- Ash dieback clearance
- €2,000 a hectare
- Climate Action Performance Payment
- €5,000 a hectare, in 3 instalments
- Apply
- Through a registered forester
Forest Road Scheme
"Grants of up to 100% of eligible costs incurred in the construction of a forest road are available and are paid in one instalment." "The maximum grant rate available is €66 per linear metre and the maximum density of road for grant aid is 25 linear metres per hectare of served area."
| Support | Grant |
|---|---|
| Engineering Design Support (new or widened entrance) | €1,500 a project |
| Ecologically Enhanced Forest Roads (over 5ha served) | €1,000 a project |
| Special Construction Works (bridges, large culverts) | 50% of cost, up to €10,000 |
The road must serve forest due for harvest within 5 years, or 10 years for joint applications with neighbours.
Woodland Improvement Scheme
This pays for managing a forest you already have. Element 1, thinning and tending broadleaf forests, pays €1,200 a hectare for the first thinning and again for a second. The other elements, agroforestry maintenance, continuous cover forestry, coppice and seed stands, each pay €1,200 a hectare too.
Continuous cover forestry also earns a Payment for Ecosystem Services of €150 a hectare, and seed stands €500 a hectare. "It is an annual per hectare payment of 7 years duration and is available for forest owners who apply for Elements 3 and 5."
Ash dieback: clearance, replanting and the Climate Action payment
For grant-aided forests hit by ash dieback, the Reconstitution scheme funds up to 100% of costs. It pays a "Site Clearance Grant of €2,000/ha cleared." A replanting grant follows, from €3,858 a hectare for mixed Sitka forest to €6,744 for native forest, paid 75% then 25% four years later.
The Climate Action Performance Payment is extra: "The CAPP will be paid in three instalments totalling €5,000 per hectare", of €2,500, €1,250 and €1,250. It is paid under EU de minimis rules.
"An application for the Reconstitution scheme must be made on iNET through a registered forester and be accompanied by a harvest plan and harvest plan map." "An application for the CAPP scheme can only be made directly by the forest owner by logging on to www.agfood.ie"
Other schemes for forest owners
The Department also runs a Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow 2026, the NeighbourWood and Native Woodland Conservation schemes, deer and hare fencing grants, and the Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group Scheme 2026. Ask your Teagasc forestry adviser or a registered forester which suit your forest.
Common questions
How much is the forest road grant?
Up to €66 a linear metre, for up to 25 metres a hectare of forest served, with extra grants for design, bridges and ecological features.
What does the Woodland Improvement Scheme pay?
€1,200 a hectare for each thinning or management element, plus 7 years of ecosystem payments for continuous cover forestry (€150 a hectare) or seed stands (€500).
What can I get for ash dieback?
€2,000 a hectare to clear, a replanting grant of €3,858 to €6,744 a hectare, and a Climate Action Performance Payment of €5,000 a hectare.