Farmers must see tree planting as an “integeral part” of their farming enterprise if Ireland is to reach its forestry targets, Minister of State, Pippa Hackett has warned.
Speaking at the National Forestry Conference today (Tuesday, October 11) in Co. Meath, the minister said the government’s new Forestry Programme will aim to deliver “attractive support” to farmers to manage their existing forests and to plant new forests.
Hackett, who has responsibility for forestry at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), said the government is at an advanced stage of the development of the forestry strategy and next forestry programme, which will run from 2023-2027.
Both documents will go to public consultation next week.
The minister told conference delegates today that there are three pillars to sustainable forestry, “the economic, social and environmental”. She said that all of these pillars of sustainability must go “hand in hand” in order for the forestry programme to work.
“For landowners, an economic return is clearly important and such a return has to be linked to delivering on sustainable forestry,” she said.
“Forestry needs to be economically attractive and viable if we are to achieve our ambitious targets for increased afforestation.”
Hackett outlined at the conference that forestry is entirely Exchequer-funded and that this year it received a budget increase from €100 to €112 million.
She said this increased budget will support forest owners who have planted previously, as well as those who choose to plant under the new programme to be announced.
The minister said that she has made clear in discussions about new grant and premium rates that significantly increased afforestation “will require significantly increased incentives for farmers and land owners”.
“We are currently in detailed discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on grant and premium rates for the new programme, and I hope to be in a position to publish these details in the coming weeks,” she said.
Hackett said both native and non-native forests had a role to play in meeting Ireland’s ambitious afforestation targets.
She acknowledged today in Co. Meath that these targets present significant challenges and that “farmers are central to achieving this”.
The minister said she was also aware of issues relating to the licensing system.
“I acknowledge that delays and backlogs have affected confidence in the sector,” she said.
“My officials and I have been working hard to deal with this over the past two years, and it remains a key priority for us.”
However, Hackett said that so far this year there had been an overall significant increase in licences issued compared with last year.
The latest quarterly licence report for Quarter 3 (Q3) of this year shows that 1,180 new forestry licences were issued in Q3.
According to the minister this is 90% of the target set in the plan for Q3, and overall licencing output for the year to date is at 3,629, which is 92% of the targets set out in the licensing plan for 2022.