Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said he is “hopeful” in relation to the 8,000ha forestry planting target this year.

Responding to a parliamentary question from Matt Carthy TD, Minister Heydon said there are positive indications for forestry planting in 2025.

“The signs this year are hopeful in that new planting since January to date, at 1,186ha, is more than double what it was at the same time last year.

“In addition, there are around 6,000ha that are approved and not yet fully planted,” he said.

While Minister Heydon has overall responsibility for the Department of Agriculture, Minister of State Micheal Healy-Rae’s brief has special responsibility for forestry.

Yearly figures

Since the 8,000ha afforestation target was introduced under the Climate Action Plan of June 2019, it has never been met.

The 50% mark on the target has never been broken from 2019 to date.

Figures from the Department of Agriculture show the country was closest to meeting the target figure in 2019, with afforestation reducing almost every year since (excluding 2022).

In 2019, including both private and public forestry, 3,550ha of forestry was planted, followed by 2,434ha in 2020; 2,016ha in 2021; 2,273 in 2022; 1,651ha in 2023 and 1,573ha in 2024.

Current programme

Answering Deputy Carthy’s question, Minister Heydon pointed out that the current Forestry Programme has the largest budget of any such programme to date.

“The comprehensive package of measures included in the programme introduced an increase in forestry premiums of between 46% and 66% and farmers will now receive 20 years of premium payments compared to 15 years for non-farmers.

“These rates are envisaged to incentivise behavioural change for landowners to engage with forestry,” he added.