Last week’s meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine concentrated on the failure by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to issue sufficient licences for afforestation, felling and roading. The Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) for forest owners with ash dieback was also discussed.

Felling licences crisis

Major criticism about the lack of licences was levelled at the Department throughout the meeting, especially by deputies Paul Kehoe, Michael Fitzmaurice, Michael Healy-Rae and Matt Carthy but other speakers also made significant contributions. TDs and senators maintained the sector was in crisis, with tree felling and afforestation virtually suspended.

Imelda Hurley, CEO, Coillte, said: “I must point out that the current licensing crisis is of extreme concern to everyone in the forestry sector – and it is a crisis.”

She acknowledged the recent legislative amendment, but said it is only one of a number of steps required.

“Currently, Coillte has only 16% of its timber licensed and available for next year, with a further 2.3m m3 of additional material needing to be licensed by the Department before the end of this year. In order to achieve this, the current licensing rate needs to almost triple.”

She called for a regulatory environment that supports the continued development of the entire forestry sector.

“The current system imposes serious constraints on afforestation efforts as well as on the efficient operation of the forestry and timber sector,” she said.

Recruitment

Minister Hackett, while acknowledging that she inherited the licence problem, outlined recent improvements in the system. These include granting more resources to the Forestry Appeals Committee and the recruitment of ecologists and inspectors to speed up licence approvals.

Assistant secretary Colm Hayes explained the complexity of the licensing system but deputies were dissatisfied with his explanation. Deputy Fitzmaurice maintained the Department had “3,900 licences in the system, rather than the 1,900 reported”.

Michael Fitzmaurice.

Deputies Kehoe, Carthy and Healy Rae blamed Department officials while Deputy Fitzmaurice called for “new people in the Department”.

RUS

The RUS ash dieback scheme was heavily criticised as members claimed it provides little by way of compensation to forest owners whose ash crops are destroyed.

The Department was accused of failing to approve any applications under RUS. Deputy Fitzmaurice questioned if the Department had even “acknowledged any of the 200 applicants”.

Reaction

There has been widespread reaction to the Oireachtas meeting among forestry stakeholders who watched proceedings. The failure by Colm Hayes and Seamus Dunne to address RUS and licence issues has been widely criticised.

“Even the claim – made by two committee members – that Irish forests were carbon emitters, went unchallenged,” said one forester.

“The Department and others clearly state that Ireland’s forests are a net sink for carbon dioxide, yet neither official saw fit to correct the misleading claim.”

Land availability

Dr Gerhardt Gallagher, who co-authored Land Availability for Afforestation, commissioned by the Department along with two related scientific papers, believes land availability will be a major challenge in reaching the 8,000ha annual afforestation programme.

Dr Gerhardt Gallagher.

“The response to the land availability issue was extremely weak as Minister Hackett explained the presence of peat on available marginal land as limiting its suitability for forestry,” he said.

“The minister and her officials did not seem to be fully aware of the findings of their own land availability study.

“They should know that there are some 2m ha of designated protected sites – mainly peat – that will never be planted.

“There are some 100,000ha of productive, plantable undesignated marginal land, available for planting and this is the key to unlocking more poor agricultural land for forestry,” he said. “There is no excuse for inaction here and even with emergency action, how otherwise will it be possible to achieve an annual 8,000ha afforestation programme?”

He agreed with committee members who call for an immediate increase in planting and felling as “this will be essential to save nurseries, forestry companies, sawmills and contractors”.

Jo O’Hara to advise on the implementation of the Mackinnon report

Minister of State Pippa Hackett has announced the appointment of Jo O’Hara “to advise her on the implementation” of the Mackinnon review.

She said: Jo O’Hara “has an ambitious target of reporting back by the end of February with her advice on actions for the successful delivery of the ‘ways forward’ identified in MacKinnon”.

The Mackinnon review, commissioned by the Department last year, made 21 recommendations and also proposed a review of legislation on forestry to “consider the introduction of a single consent covering planting, road construction, management and felling”.

Jo O'Hara.

O’Hara is a former chief executive of the Scottish Forestry Commission and now works as a private consultant in the UK. Her appointment has been welcomed by the IFA, the Society of Irish Foresters, the Irish Timber Growers Association and None so Hardy Nurseries.

“O’Hara has all credentials to fulfil this role,” said one spokesperson.

Concerns

Some concerns were voiced about the role now envisaged for O’Hara as it falls short of Minister Hackett’s promise to appoint a chair to lead the implementation of the MacKinnon review on afforestation.

“The Mackinnon report was commissioned to review our processes and procedures and ensure that collectively we are fit for purpose to deliver the ambitious targets for the forestry sector in Ireland,” said Minister Hackett.

“Jo O’Hara brings a wealth of experience from her time in Scotland not least in leading the implementing of the Scottish MacKinnon report.’’

James Mackinnon’s review – “Analysis of Current Arrangements for the Consideration and Approval of Forestry Planting Proposals” – helped transform the afforestation programme in Scotland.

The success of Scotland’s afforestation programme was due to a number of factors, not least the major support it received from cabinet secretary Fergus Ewing at the time. Scotland adopted a united approach in achieving its afforestation targets with commitment by the Scottish government and its agencies Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry along with farmers and other landowners, NGOs, and the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor).

Getting a similar partnership approach will be a major challenge for O’Hara. We wish her well on her appointment and look forward to her report.