Specific Details
Mid-term Review of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027
Intended results
To highlight that the forest sector in Ireland is undoubtedly in a state of national crisis. Given the importance of Irelands forest sector an unrealistic time frame has been allocated to forest stakeholders to complete the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 Mid-Term Review.
All afforestation applications must be made up of a minimum of 20% broadleaved species by area and 15% Areas of Biodiversity Enhancement. The premium payment to be extended beyond the 20-year duration for both above compulsory planting requirements to compensate the loss of agricultural income.
IFA provided evidence on the 15th of October 2024 to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) regarding contractor quotes given to farmers for the removal of diseased Ash trees from plantations. From IFA findings the support for site clearance @ €2,000/ha cleared is insignificant. Therefore, flexibility in the payable clearance grant rate for older and more difficult sites, as recommended in the Independent Review of Ash Dieback Response must be implemented.
To highlight that the expansion of Ireland's forest sector is currently solely driven by farmers and private investors. If the national policy to expand the forest resource is to be achieved, then Government policy must ensure that forestry as a land use option is economically viable and competitive, while satisfying environmental requirements.
In 2023 there was 1,651 hectares of afforestation land planted. In 2024 there was 1,573 hectares of afforestation planted. The afforestation figures from the Forest Programme 2023-2025 show that the annual planting target of 8,000 hectares is not being achieved. Farmers are disengaging from forestry as a land use option, which is clearly shown in the rate of farmer planting under the programme.
Farmer's confidence in forestry has been eroded following a series of policy decisions, which include cutting forest premiums, introducing restrictions on planting productive marginal land, unwarranted recoupment of premium payments, and the erosion of the productive forest area because of environmental requirements. In addition, financial losses incurred following the outbreak of ash dieback disease and extreme windblow have damaged perceptions of forestry.
Forestry is a strategically important sector that has a key role to play in achieving climate change targets, not just through carbon sequestration, but indirectly through the displacement of fossil fuel as Ireland's largest biomass resource. This review must address long standing issues that are impeding the development of the sector, if forestry is to continue to make a positive contribution to climate change.
Forest policy must work for forests and farmers if targets are to be achieved. Despite the huge potential of the sector, it has failed to achieve the afforestation targets. This trend will continue without significant intervention.
Intervention 1 - Forest Creation
The afforestation programme will continue to decline, and targets will not be achieved until several key policy issues are addressed All afforestation applications must be made up of a minimum of 20% broadleaved species by area. Therefore, premium to be increased for Broadleaves as the length of maturity is greater than the current premium payment of 20 years. It is insignificant as the income forgone is not adequately compensated.
Areas of Biodiversity Enhancement (ABE) which are suitable for afforestation planting with the potential for a commercial forest crop to be established is lost for the purposes of retaining open spaces and habitats for biodiversity. Up to 15% of the total claimed afforestation area will have little or no economical return to the landowner once the premium payment of 20 years is suspended. It is insignificant for the lost income not to be adequately compensated for the lifespan of the plantation.
The removal of the Ash from the list of approved species has had a huge impact on farmer interest in broadleaf planting. Other species with similar rotational lengths such as Alder are less attractive. The rotational lengths of Oak and Beech and the inadequate supports available under the current programme make them unattractive. IFA proposes that the forest premium or the term of the premium is doubled to reflect the agricultural income forgone, until a commercial timber crop is produced.
Water Setbacks
To propose water setback areas to be reviewed following a meeting with Inland Fisheries on the 21st January 2025. The loss of agricultural economic return forgone to meet environmental setbacks is conflicting with research carried out by Inland fisheries. Fisheries can be significantly impacted by forested lands within their catchments. These impacts can be positive depending on the type of land, trees and management practices used.
Forestry can be developed to greatly enhance fisheries and the wider environment, such as those planted under the Native Woodland Scheme. Native trees increase insect production, which can provide a food source for fish. Trees planted in small groups at random intervals along watercourses can provide the right amount of shade to protect fish from hot sunshine and over hanging vegetation as cover from predators.
Riparian trees can also provide a buffer from the impacts of other land use practices. Forestry management practices such as Continues Cover Forestry also greatly reduce the negative impacts of forestry.
Many studies have demonstrated how channels with riparian tree cover have lower average and maximum stream temperature and greater temperature stability than those without cover. The effectiveness of tree cover in buffering stream temperatures may be influenced by a range of variables, including tree height and type . Therefore, Native Broadleaves to be planted out to the riverbed on a site-specific examination,
The Native Tree Area Scheme is very restricted in terms of areas eligible for inclusion in the scheme. This scheme to be site investigated on a case-by-case basis as some of the measures are too limiting. For example, organic and organo-mineral soil are not eligible for inclusion in the scheme. If the land is left abandoned generation renewal would eventually prevail with native trees.
Intervention 2 – Creation of Agroforestry Systems
Once land is converted to agroforestry, it will be classified as forest land and the provisions of forest legislation will apply. FT8 – Agroforestry, premiums payable for a maximum period of 10 years is insignificant as eligible tree species include broadleaves and conifers. Broadleaves length of maturity is much greater than the current premium payment of 10 years, therefore, the premium payment to be extended for at least a period of 20 years.
Intervention 3 Infrastructure and Technology investments - Forest road scheme
There is no doubt that the planning permission requirement for new forest roads entrances is a major barrier in some counties but there are several other reasons that targets are not being achieved. A full review of the costings under the forest road scheme to be carried out due to inflation.
The grant rate for Forest Road Scheme needs to be increased from the current grant rate of €55 per linear meter constructed to cover costs of construction and additional administration associated with forest roads.
The ongoing issues with planning permission and road bonds, and the inconsistent approach between local authorities is a cause of concern for farmers. The inconsistency raises a red flag that the draft agreement between Forest Service, Department of Transport and Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (DHPCLG) is not as secure as farmers are being led to believe. IFA proposes that a meeting be held with representatives from the other Departments to get reassurance on th
To propose that a meeting be held with representatives from the other Departments to get reassurance on the agreement and the estimated timeline for making the required legislative changes.
Innovative Forest Technology Scheme – Module 3 Sustainable Forest Harvesting Machinery Grant
This scheme was an opportunity to encourage operators to invest in specialised equipment to protect sites and increase operator health and safety. However, it is not fit for purpose in how it is designed given the lack of ambition with the budget awarded.
Only four projects per year will be grant aided with a budget of €50,000 per project. The overall budget granted is insignificant given the scale of operations nationally. While this scheme had the potential to deliver on improving operator health and safety aspects alone, the scale of the scheme's ambitions is unrealistic with such a small budget being granted.
Conventional harvesting and forwarding machines should also be included in this scheme for grant aid.
Intervention 4 Sustainable Forest Management
Woodland Improvement Scheme (WIS)
This is a hugely important measure in the programme that should be used to foster and develop a forestry culture among farmers. It is proving increasingly difficult to get skilled contractors to undertake harvesting work. The Tending and Thinning grant should be increased for both Element 1 Thinning and Tending - First Thinning Intervention and Element 1 Thinning and Tending - Subsequent Thinning Intervention.
The additional support will help farmers with the harvesting costs, as well as increased insurance costs.
Certification
The lack of certification in the private sector is now a potential barrier to wood sales and mobilisation, as predicted in the COFORD Wood Mobilisation and Production Forecasting Group Report (2018). Based on the National Forest Inventory and Earth observation data nearly 12,000 ha of private owners windblow timber is coming onto the market unexpectedly.
There is an urgency to establish a national group certification scheme as outlined in the Forestry Certification Business Plan shared with the Department in May 2024. A National Group Scheme is the only sustainable solution that adequately addresses the certification barriers. Such a scheme would focus initially on Forest Management Certification. It is proposed that this group scheme will be a not-for-profit entity with a strong commercial ethos.
The scheme will require the establishment of a new legal entity which should be under the remit of a Forest Development Agency.
The introduction of a Forest Management and Harvesting Plan Grant to be established. Such grants would assist forest owners with the increased costs and requirements associated with applying for a felling licence. Both Forest Management and Harvesting Plan to be of a standard that would support forest owners in the certification process.
Intervention 5 Developing skills and empowering the forest sector for Sustainable Forest Management
IFA is concerned by the disconnect between the level of expenditure under the measure versus the funding that has been made available to support forest owner groups. There must be greater efforts to engage with the farmers and forest owner groups to ensure that the measure addresses their knowledge needs.
IFA proposes a more bottom-up approach to be taken, that works with farmers and forest owner groups to develop training courses that address their learning needs.
Supports should be available to assist farmers to develop the necessary skills to actively manage their forests. Funding should be made available to assist with the costs of running training courses for farmers who may be considering forestry as a land use option, forest management, chainsaw use to cut inspection paths, small tree felling and marketing timber sales. A forest safety element should be included in all training courses.
The allocation of funding to establish a Forestry Development Agency to drive the industry, such as exists in other natural resource sectors. It would be charged with optimising the performance of the Irish forest industry by providing technical expertise, business support, funding, training and promoting responsible environmental practice. The establishment of this Agency is critical to achieving the afforestation targets.
Intervention 7 Climate Resilient Reforestation
The proposed Payment Ecosystem Service (PES) payment under the new programme will require farmers to further erode productive area to qualify for the payment. This is unacceptable and needs to be reviewed. Farmers should be paid to manage the land they are required to provide as areas of biodiversity enhancement, broadleaves and environmental requirements. They should not be required to further erode productive area to qualify for a payment.
The PES rate should reflect the income lost from timber production and must be extended beyond the 7 years.
Intervention 8 Reconstitution
The Ash Dieback Reconstitution Scheme requires significant improvement. This includes flexibility in the payable clearance grant rate for older and more difficult sites, as recommended in the Independent Review of Ash Dieback Response. IFA provided evidence on the 15th October 2024 to DAFM of contractor quotes being giving to farmers for the removal of diseased Ash trees from plantations as requested through the FSCC meeting on the 24th September 2024.
The support for site clearance @ €2,000/ha cleared is insignificant. IFA research found that each contractor quoted differently due to the age of the plantation, size of the Ash plantation and maturity of the trees. Specialised equipment is required in older and more difficult sites, as health and safety for the landowners and operators must be prioritised during operations.
Small plots where it is uneconomically viable to remove the diseased Ash dieback trees should quality for the full Ash Dieback Reconstitution Scheme payment. Land abandonment is a great concern. Therefore, landowners who do allow their land to regenerate should receive an annual environmental payment for the eco system services and biodiversity enhancement they naturally are providing.
The introduction of a Roadside Ash Tree Removal Grant to support landowners to remove diseased roadside ash trees safely is urgently required. The grant should be administered by the Local Authorities, who would be responsible for coordinating the safe removal of the trees by providing grants to support farmers to hire relevant professionals to safely fell these trees.
Windblow Damage
Based on the National Forest Inventory and Earth observation data that 23,950ha of forestry has been identified as being windblown because of recent storms. It is evident that the Government needs to financially support farmers and landowners with windblow trees.
The scale of the damage indicates that there is not sufficient industry resource in Ireland for felling and processing the timber nor for replanting the woodlands in a timely manner, as economically there is massive loss of value if this timber isn't salvaged promptly. Therefore, grant-aided international help is essential, along with a coordinated scheme to get as much timber salvaged as possible
There is an urgent need to develop a scheme to support the safe removal of Windblow trees. The health and safety risks to farmers during the removal of these trees and the risk to public road users if they are not removed, are potentially devastating and require immediate action by Government.
Harvesting must commence immediately. If not, timber a year on the ground means the difference between selling timber and selling firewood
International help is essential. We need experts who have dealt with such a crisis before to help with a crisis emergency plan. Ireland does not have an adequate skillset to deal with the clean-up of salvageable timber under the time constraints. The work force must be coordinated to get as much timber salvaged as possible. Resultant contractor costs will be inflated due to supply and demand, therefore, grant aid is required urgently.
IFA proposes that the private sector should have the option to be paid for timber in meters cubed. To do so, Department officials would be required to work at the sawmills, verifying the volume of timber on the weighbridge and completing the conversion of timber from tonnage to meters cubed. This would provide relief to the private sector and ease some of the concerns regarding timber pricing.
Funding for the removal and the replanting
Replanting obligation to be reviewed on a site-by-site bases. The 24-month replanting obligation to be reviewed as the skill force simply cannot cope with the volume of work to be done in such a short time frame giving the scale of timber to be replanted. Emergency funds to be made available for the replanting obligation, as forest owners cannot absorb the cost of the replanting obligation if the timber value is vastly reduced
EU civil protection mechanism needs to address some of our issues. An emergency fund to be established. Look at options for providing some level of compensation regarding contractor fees, foresters fees, replanting costs. There is not sufficient industry resource in Ireland for felling and processing the timber nor for replanting the woodlands. Resultant contractor costs will be inflated due to supply and demand therefore grant aid is required urgently.
New measures are needed to reverse the decline in afforestation, to de-risk the investment and restore confidence, while ensuring a balanced regional spread of forestry is achieved. The Government has significant ambition for the forestry sector as set out in the Climate Action Plan 2024, which aims to increase annual planting rates to 8,000 hectares per annum, to deliver an additional 28,000 hectares of new forest by the end of 2025.
To date (26/03/2025) 4,844 hectares of new forests have been established, just 17.3% of the planting target.
The Government must address the barriers identified in this submission and introduce additional supports for farmers where required. The programme must provide farmers with a supportive framework that builds a competitive, economic viable and sustainable forest sector.
Barry Cassidy
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Jackie Healy-Rae
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Martin Heydon
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Michael Healy-Rae
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)