Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae will change the definition of a farmer to stimulate interest in afforestation during the mid-term review of the Forestry Programme (2023-2027).
“I’m changing the eligibility of what a farmer is to ensure that more people will be able to avail of the 20 years of premium payments rather than 15 years [for non-farmers],” he told the Irish Farmers Journal in an exclusive interview.
To qualify for the extended five-year premium, forestry applicants have to be in BISS for four years.
“That will now change to one year,” which he said “will be very easy” to access especially for those who return to family farms. “The extra five years will add up to €5,000/ha to premium payments to new entrants who qualify.” He also acknowledged the rising costs of materials for fencing and road-making and will increase these grants by 20%.
He discussed his plans for the sector since his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for forestry on 29 January last year. He inherited a historically low 1,574ha annual afforestation programme and the responsibility of dealing with the devastation caused by storm Éowyn.
Afforestation increased by 60% under the minister’s watch to 2,527ha. While his main aim is to encourage farmers to plant, he has been exploring a wide range of options including planting land owned by public bodies, from local authorities to health boards.
“We’re not robbing land that could be used for other purposes, but we’re using public land that was waste,” he explained.
He set up a task force to tackle the windblow disaster, within a week in office. “We did everything possible in getting new exports and making sure there was a balance [in harvesting] throughout the regions,” he said.
He rejected criticism about the effectiveness of the task force, even though harvesting will continue until 2028. “We all pulled together and we are sorting it out,” he said.
When asked about future forest afforestation programmes needed to meet Climate Action Plan recommendations, he refused to be drawn on annual planting targets. “You can only do what you can do – you can only plant what can get planted,” he said.
‘Trying to achieve unrealistic targets is nonsense’
When pressed about the 18% forest cover needed by mid-century as proposed by COFORD – his Department’s forestry adviser group – the minister was pragmatic about what can be achieved. “Yes, it’s great to have ambition, but trying to achieve unrealistic targets is nonsense and is wasting people’s time,” he said.
“Deal with the practicalities; have good schemes in place, good implementation and sort out the appeals mechanism.”
He acknowledged “the need for due process” in the appeals system but said: “I will be engaging with An Bord Pleanála to change the system and to avoid the endless merry- go-round of people playing with the gearbox of appeals.”
Throughout the interview, he stressed teamwork and the interdependency of the forestry and forest products sector.
“We are all married to each other whether we like it or not,” he said. “The sawmills are married to the landowner because they are going nowhere without the landowner. We are all like cogs in a wheel – we all need each cog – myself included – and we are all reliant on each other.”
Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae will change the definition of a farmer to stimulate interest in afforestation during the mid-term review of the Forestry Programme (2023-2027).
“I’m changing the eligibility of what a farmer is to ensure that more people will be able to avail of the 20 years of premium payments rather than 15 years [for non-farmers],” he told the Irish Farmers Journal in an exclusive interview.
To qualify for the extended five-year premium, forestry applicants have to be in BISS for four years.
“That will now change to one year,” which he said “will be very easy” to access especially for those who return to family farms. “The extra five years will add up to €5,000/ha to premium payments to new entrants who qualify.” He also acknowledged the rising costs of materials for fencing and road-making and will increase these grants by 20%.
He discussed his plans for the sector since his appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for forestry on 29 January last year. He inherited a historically low 1,574ha annual afforestation programme and the responsibility of dealing with the devastation caused by storm Éowyn.
Afforestation increased by 60% under the minister’s watch to 2,527ha. While his main aim is to encourage farmers to plant, he has been exploring a wide range of options including planting land owned by public bodies, from local authorities to health boards.
“We’re not robbing land that could be used for other purposes, but we’re using public land that was waste,” he explained.
He set up a task force to tackle the windblow disaster, within a week in office. “We did everything possible in getting new exports and making sure there was a balance [in harvesting] throughout the regions,” he said.
He rejected criticism about the effectiveness of the task force, even though harvesting will continue until 2028. “We all pulled together and we are sorting it out,” he said.
When asked about future forest afforestation programmes needed to meet Climate Action Plan recommendations, he refused to be drawn on annual planting targets. “You can only do what you can do – you can only plant what can get planted,” he said.
‘Trying to achieve unrealistic targets is nonsense’
When pressed about the 18% forest cover needed by mid-century as proposed by COFORD – his Department’s forestry adviser group – the minister was pragmatic about what can be achieved. “Yes, it’s great to have ambition, but trying to achieve unrealistic targets is nonsense and is wasting people’s time,” he said.
“Deal with the practicalities; have good schemes in place, good implementation and sort out the appeals mechanism.”
He acknowledged “the need for due process” in the appeals system but said: “I will be engaging with An Bord Pleanála to change the system and to avoid the endless merry- go-round of people playing with the gearbox of appeals.”
Throughout the interview, he stressed teamwork and the interdependency of the forestry and forest products sector.
“We are all married to each other whether we like it or not,” he said. “The sawmills are married to the landowner because they are going nowhere without the landowner. We are all like cogs in a wheel – we all need each cog – myself included – and we are all reliant on each other.”
SHARING OPTIONS