Minister Healy-Rae encourages public to support the Irish Christmas tree sector
- Published on: 11 December 2025
- Last updated on: 11 December 2025
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Healy-Rae TD met with Martin Kelleher and his son Darragh of Kelleher’s Christmas Tree Farm in Naas this week. The Minister told Martin and Darragh how impressed he is with the Irish Christmas tree sector and how things have changed since he was selling Christmas trees almost 50 years ago.
The Minister said:
“As a young fella of about ten years of age I used to cut Christmas trees and deliver them on my bicycle around the parish. I’ll never forget the joy people had when a real tree arrived at their door. There’s a magic in the smell of a real Christmas tree in the house. It’s a tradition rooted in Irish homes for decades.”
The Minister added:
“I am encouraging the public to support the Irish Christmas tree sector by purchasing a real Irish Christmas tree this festive season. This will support our local producers who have put in seven to ten years of dedicated work to produce top quality Christmas trees. Irish growers produce around 700,000 Christmas trees each year, with 450,000 sold at home and about 250,000 exported abroad, mainly to the UK. The sector contributes an estimated €21 million to the Irish economy annually.”
The Minister continued:
“My Department’s Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector helps to support the sector by grant aiding capital investments in specialised equipment to manage and harvest the crop. The 2026 scheme is currently open for applications, and I would encourage growers to apply. Information on the scheme can be found on the Department website.”
Note for editors:
The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector is a support measure that assists in the development of the horticulture sector by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment including renewable energy, as well as technology adoption specific to commercial horticulture production.
The 2026 Scheme is currently open for applications and the deadline for receipt of completed applications is 5pm on Friday, 12 December, 2025.
Further information can be found on 2026 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector or by emailing: Horticulturegrants@agriculture.gov.ie.
