Newly released forestry figures from the Department of Agriculture show the failure of Government to deliver on forestry policy, according to Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson Claire Kerrane TD.

Kerrane stated that low afforestation figures point towards poor farmer and forestry confidence in the sector, with the TD also criticising the lack of clarity surrounding Government’s new forestry programme which has yet to receive full EU approval.

The 2022 planting figures show that the State was unable to meet its annual forestry targets if the past three years are counted together, she pointed out.

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“Today’s report further underlines what we already know - that the Government have failed and continue to fail to deliver on forestry.

Plumetting metrics

“The newly-published forestry sector statistics show that not only have key forestry metrics plummeted in recent years, they remain at some of the lowest levels of the past decade.

“For example, there was just 2,273ha of afforestation in 2022. There is an annual target of 8,000ha of afforestation, yet we are looking at a combined total of 6,723ha for the past three years.

“As well as this, the report starkly highlights the lack of confidence in the sector from farmers and foresters and the impact this has had on buy-in in recent years.

“For example, in 2017 there was 536 farmers involved in afforestation in the State. This number has dropped to just 76 as of 2022.”

Clarity needed

Kerrane said that Minister of State Pippa Hackett must bring urgent clarity to a recent announcement which suggested that only €308m of the State’s proposed new €1.3bn five-year forestry programme has been given the go-ahead by the European Commission.

The announcement regarded Brussels’ green light for the afforestation element of the plan, but made no mention on the progress of the approximately €1bn-worth of the programme’s other elements.

“In a press statement today, Minister Hackett states that the new forestry programme will ‘mark a turning point’ for the sector and that her focus is on implementing the programme,” commented Kerrane.

“Yet, the programme is nowhere to be seen and now more than eight months overdue. There remains a lack of clarity and uncertainty about when that will be.

“Given the serious challenges facing the forestry sector, which are underlined by today’s forestry statistics report, it is alarming that the Government have not provided the sector with further update on the status of other measures within the programme.

“Farmers and foresters need certainty. I am calling on Minister Hackett to provide an update on the new forestry programme in full.”