Roscommon farmers and landowners received €38,900 in 2024 under the Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP), a forestry support scheme aimed at helping ash plantation owners affected by ash dieback disease. The figures, released in response to a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly (Kerry), confirm that Roscommon landowners were among the lower recipients of the scheme compared to other counties.
The CAPP scheme, launched in August 2024, provides €5,000 per hectare to landowners who clear and replant ash forests impacted by ash dieback disease. Payments are issued in three instalments under the Department of Agriculture’s Ash Dieback Reconstitution Scheme.
Roscommon context
Roscommon’s €38,900 payout in 2024 places it in the lower half of counties for CAPP funding, though it is ahead of neighbouring Longford (€1,875), Sligo (€5,875), and Leitrim (€29,600). However, Westmeath (€185,125) and Galway (€76,200) saw higher levels of funding.
At a national level, €2.53m was paid out across Ireland in 2024, with Tipperary (€241,550), Wexford (€206,400), and Clare (€194,475) among the biggest recipients.
Rollout and payments
A total of 280 applications have been received since the scheme’s launch, with 268 approved payments made to date, covering 1,015 hectares of reforested land. The first payments were made in late 2024, and while €38,900 was awarded to Roscommon recipients last year, no payments have been recorded yet for 2025.
No applications were disallowed under the scheme, though 12 applications remain under review.
Supporting farmers impacted by ash dieback
The CAPP scheme was introduced as part of broader government efforts to support farmers and landowners affected by the devastating impact of ash dieback, which has destroyed vast areas of ash forestry across Ireland.
The disease, first detected in 2012, has led to significant economic losses for those who invested in ash plantations under previous afforestation schemes.
With payments continuing into 2025 and beyond, Roscommon landowners with eligible plantations may still avail of funding, provided they meet the clearing and replanting requirements set by the Department of Agriculture.
