21 March 2025
Launch of the new NeighbourWood Scheme
The new NeighbourWood Scheme, launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, offers funding to enhance local woodlands for public recreation. Tom Houlihan highlights its role in boosting biodiversity and recreational use.
The new NeighbourWood Scheme, was recently launched by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM). This highly attractive scheme offers financial support to public and private forest owners who wish to develop attractive and easily accessible local woodlands for the recreational use of communities in both urban and rural Ireland.
On March 13, 2025, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, and the Minister of State for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae, TD, launched the new NeighbourWood Scheme offered within the Forestry Programme 2023-2027.
The scheme provides funding for eligible applicants to carry out woodland enhancement works and to install recreational facilities that will allow people to access and experience the woodland. These woodlands will cater for a range of recreational uses and pursuits, but ultimately will create opportunities for people to get out and enjoy local woodlands and to experience the associated health benefits, both physical and mental. The NeighbourWood Scheme is aimed primarily at publicly owned woodlands, but private forests and woodlands under community ownership or management trusts are also eligible.
Element 1: Enhancement
Provides support for silvicultural works designed to enhance existing forests and to increase their attractiveness, biodiversity and suitability for recreation. Under Element 1, projects can receive up to €6,000 / ha in funding, based on approved costs and subject to an upper limit of €72,000 (equivalent to 12 hectares within the scheme).
Element 2: Facilities
Provides funding for suitable facilities that enable the use and enjoyment of existing woodlands and forests by people. These facilities can range from general features such as trails, seats, signs and parking to cater for the general user, to more specialised facilities for particular user groups. Under Element 2, projects can receive up to €4,200 / ha, based on approved works and subject to an upper limit of €50,400. It is aimed at existing woodlands, including woodlands that been recently planted.
For further details on the scheme and the application process, contact your local Teagasc Forestry Advisor, details of the NeighbourWood scheme are also available here.