6,605km of hedgerow delivered under agri-environmental schemes - DAFM estimates
Since the introduction of agri-environmental schemes in 1994, a total of 6,605km of new hedgerows and more than 3.7million trees have been established on non-forest land.
These schemes provide payments to farmers to help tackle climate change, preserve biodiversity, protect habitats and promote environmentally friendly farming. These results were presented in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Forest Statistics Ireland 2023 report.
Table: The total estimate of newly established hedgerows and trees under agri-environmental schemes (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 2018)
| Scheme | Newly established hedgerows (km) | Newly planted trees | Newly planted orchard trees |
| Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) 1994 -2010 | 4,100 | 1,702,972 | N/A |
| Agri-Environnent Options Scheme (AEOS) 2010 -2014 | 1,322 | 464,910 | N/A |
| Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment (GLAS) 2014 -201 | 1,183 | 1,617,516 | 11,182 |
| Total | 6,605 | 3,785,398 | 11,182 |
The report also detailed how hedgerows form a large part of the agricultural landscape and play a key role providing shelter for animals, acting as field boundaries, supporting flood control and act as a habitat for biodiversity.
A 2014 report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), examining the feasibility of a national hedgerow inventory, estimated that hedgerow and non-forest woodland and scrub could potentially be sequestering 0.66-3.3 tonnes of CO2/ha/year. Based on existing national estimates for hedgerow and non-forest woodland and scrub cover, it states that this could result in a net removal of 0.27-1.4 Mt CO2/year. The value of hedgerows and trees outside of forests is reflected in recently introduced agri-environmental measures which have resulted in the establishment of new hedgerows and trees outside of the forest, the DAFM report states.
Read the full Forest Statistics Ireland 2023 report
National Hedgerow Week takes place from September 1st - September 8th. See the full list of events here