This Scheme has been announced to support forest owners who had storm damage following Storm Darragh and Storm Éowyn during the winter of 2024/2025. This involves the restoration of wind damaged forest areas following tree clearance.
This grant is only for sites that were not insured for the costs of reconstitution and is only available for forests that suffered from significant damage from windblow.
Windblown areas are areas of uprooted/partially uprooted trees and for the purposes of this scheme this includes area of trees that have had
their stems snapped. Significant damage would mean windblow damage of 20% or more of the area in the relevant forest.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the RSW an application area must meet the following criteria:
- At least 20% of a plot of forest comprising the original grant aided contract(s) has been wind damaged (windblown/windsnap) and / or 20% of the total contract(s) area has been wind damaged.
OR - At least 20% of a non-grant aided contiguous forest area (or discrete forest block) has been wind damaged (windblown/windsnap) and / or 20% of a single forest holding has been wind damaged.
In addition to windblown trees that satisfy the 20% condition above, in certain situations adjoining standing trees will also be eligible. To be eligible they must satisfy one or more of the following scenarios:
Scenario 1
Bands of trees adjoining windblown trees that are, on average, less than 50 metres in width
Scenario 2
Islands of standing trees where there has been windblow on all sides or windblow on 70% or greater of the sides
Scenario 3
Standing trees that are within a plot, where there are multiple pockets of windblown trees in a mosaic through the plot where the windblown area makes up 40% or more of the plot area.
Scenario 4
Standing trees adjoining windblown trees, creating a jagged edge that are required to be felled to create a clear straight or smooth divide between the windblown trees and the standing trees, not exceeding 10% of the area.
Grant Rates
The Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow will provide financial support in the form of fixed rate grants.
The following payment rates are available for the Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow:
Reconstitution Type Replanting Species Grant per ha
RSW1 Native Forests (as per FT1) €6,744
RSW2 Broadleaf, mainly oak and beech (As per FT6) €6,744
RSW3 Diverse Broadleaf (As per FT7) €4,314
RSW4 Continuous Cover Forestry (As per FT10) €5,421
RSW5 Mixed high forests: Diverse Conifer (As per FT11) €4,452
RSW6 a. Mixed high forests with Sitka Spruce (as per FT12) €3,858
RSW6 b. Conifer high forest with Sitka Spruce (<20% broadleaf) €3,858
Deer fencing and tree shelter grants are only available for protection against deer, and only where deer are deemed to be an impediment to successfully establishing broadleaf trees. Conifer high forest is not eligible for deer fencing and deer tree shelter grant.
No other fencing grants (e.g. cattle, sheep, rabbit fencing) are available under this scheme.
The RSW grant will be paid in 2 instalments as follows:
- Application for the 1st Instalment Grant may be made after the site has been replanted (approximately 75% payment).
- Application for the 2nd Instalment Grant may be made 4 years after the site is successfully reconstituted (approximately 25% payment).
Steps required in order to avail of the Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow (RSW)
Forest Owner engages a Registered Forester to apply for the Scheme. The Registered Forester submits an application to the Department for Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow support via the Department’s iNET system (on behalf of the Forest Owner).
The RSW Scheme document (link below) outlines in detail, the information and documentation required for an application for approval under the scheme. These include;
- Site Location map
- Certified Windblow map
- Certified Replanting Species map
- Fencing map
- Tree felling licence (applicants with a thinning licence only must have a replanting plan approved by DAFM)
- Signed declaration re forestry insurance
Relevant information
Reconstitution Scheme for Windblow 2026 (Scheme document, DAFM website)