Private forestry representatives have called for immediate action by the Department of Agriculture on ash dieback.

The Social Economic Environmental Forestry Association (SEEFA) said the recent review of Government efforts to tackle ash dieback recommended an urgent and immediate response, and it said this must be delivered by the Department.

“The report describes the situation as a national emergency. There must be real progress within days and implementation within a fortnight,” SEEFA said.

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The private forestry body took issue with the Department using EU state aid rules as a reason for “non-delivery of any recommendation in the report”.

“Blaming EU state aid rules for non-delivery of any recommendation in the report will not be acceptable. State aid and de minimis rules were changed by the current ministers McConalogue and Hackett to enable Coillte, among others, to secure unlimited grant and premium aid in the forestry programme,” SEEFA pointed out.

'Rotten, dead and dying'

“Are small-scale owners of rotten, dead and dying ash expected to believe that the same rules prohibit them from being treated fairly and equitably?” the organisation asked.

SEEFA said the Department’s response to the recommendations included in the review will be a test of whether there has been a change of attitude in its forestry division.

The ash dieback review found that the handling and processing of applications for disease supports such as the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme were an “utter failure”.

It also identified “weaknesses in culture, leadership, communications and capability” within the Department’s forestry service.

The IFA has also sought a quick response from the Department to the findings of the review team.

“The speed at which the Government responds on the foot of this report will be critical to rebuilding trust and confidence in forestry and will be fundamental to how farmers judge the attractiveness of forestry as a land-use,” said IFA forestry chair Jason Fleming.

He said that the focus must be now on implementing the recommendations within the report in full and keeping stakeholders informed on progress.

Fleming claimed that of particular importance for forest owners will be:

  • That a simplified approval process for site clearance is put in place.
  • That the full cost of site clearance and regeneration is covered by grant aid, with additional support available for clearance of challenging sites.
  • That a review of re-establishment and maintenance costs, is undertaken.
  • That a bespoke re-establishment annual payment consistent is put in place, with the general rates available under the new Forestry Programme.
  • That the potential for a one-off ex-gratia payment is explored in recognition of the absence of an effective [support] scheme between 2018 and 2023.