The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 17 May, 2024

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 Jan, 2024 to 30 Apr, 2024

Specific Details Spruce Bark Beetle

Intended results To outline the threat posed by Spruce Bark Beetles to the health of Irish forests. To highlight the scale of the potential risk According to Ireland's National Forest Inventory 2022, spruce forests account for approximately 65% of the private grant aided forest estate, which is predominantly owned and managed by farmers. Of which 64% is comprised of Sitka spruce and 5% Norway spruce. This is the equivalent to nearly 200,000 hectares of forest land and shows the potential scale of the risk to the Ireland's forest industry should the spruce bark beetle take hold. Therefore, a spruce bark beetle outbreak would cause extensive economic loss to the forest industry, but it would be farmers that would bear the brunt of the economic consequences, which include a reduction in the commercial value of the infested trees, increased management costs as well as replanting costs. As per the Department rules, it is a condition of grant aid that in the event of significant tree deaths the losses are required to be replaced within the following two growing seasons or such other period as agreed, in writing, by the Department. Failure to replace losses may result in the recoupment of grants and premiums paid. Farmers do not trust that adequate biosecurity measures are in place to prevent the introduction of the spruce bark beetle to Ireland, or that the current inspection regime is sufficient and consider the importation of timber from the pest free areas to be a major threat to the health of their spruce forests. The best and most cost-effective way to fight any invasive pests is to prevent them from entering. IFA is calling for a temporary suspension of the importation of timber from Scotland until a full review of the biosecurity measures for the spruce bark beetle is undertaken. IFA want the Government to be more proactive and to take every precaution to ensure that Ireland remains spruce bark beetle free. A spruce bark beetle taskforce needs to be established immediately to give full consideration to the various risk factors, to review the current monitoring, surveillance and inspection programmes both here and in Scotland and to introduce additional biosecurity measures or adapt legislation, if necessary. To stress how vital it is that a contingency plan that sets out the procedures and measures that may be required in the event of an outbreak is developed and communicated with industry. We need to increase our preparedness and drastically improve communication with stakeholders. To seek reassurance from the Department of Agriculture, food, and the Marine that if a farmer's plantation is infected with Spruce Bark Beetle because of the continued importation of sawlog from Scotland that the Government will accept responsibility and agree to fully compensate affected farmers for the financial loss incurred over the full rotation.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Francie Gorman IFA President, Alice Doyle IFA Deputy President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General, Elaine Farrell IFA Director of Governance & Oireachtas Engagement, Jason Fleming IFA Farm Forestry Chair, Geraldine O'Sullivan IFA Senior Policy Excecutive

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (2-5)

Submission (1)

Meeting (2-5)

Social Media (2-5)

Informal communication (2-5)

Letter (1)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Barry Cassidy Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Brian Leddin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Claire Kerrane TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Denis O'Donovan Senator (Seanad)

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Johnny Mythen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Lynn Boylan Senator (Seanad)

Martin Heydon Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Michael Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Savage Assistant Secretary (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Philip O'Callaghan Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)

Pippa Hackett Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Victor Boyhan Senator (Seanad)

Jack O'Donnell Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Declan O'Rourke Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)