The government’s treatment of farmers impacted by ash dieback has been “hugely damaging” to confidence in the forestry sector, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
IFA president Tim Cullinan told a conference on ash dieback on Saturday (March 25) that the level of support offered to farmers whose plantations have been hit by the disease has been “totally insufficient”.
He said this “has added hugely to the distress and frustration of those affected”.
Forestry
The Ash Dieback 2023 conference in Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co. Tipperary was organised by the Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (LTWO) group.
Ash dieback is caused by an invasive fungal pathogen which originated in Asia and was brought to Europe in the early 90s.
It was first detected in the Republic of Ireland in October 2012 on plants imported from continental Europe.
According to Teagasc, the disease is now prevalent throughout most of the island of Ireland and is likely to cause the death of the majority of the ash trees over the next two decades.
The IFA claimed that “the lack of an adequate response from consecutive governments” to this issue has been central to the decline in farmers planting forestry.
IFA president Tim Cullinan called on Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Pippa Hackett to introduce a new scheme that recognises the financial loss incurred by the disease.
“Until this happens it is hard to see farmers planting at the scale required to meet our afforestation and climate targets,” he said.
IFA Farm Forestry Committee chair Jason Fleming said that an interim scheme fails to recognise “the significant financial loss incurred by farmers” whose plantations have been impacted by the disease.
“The increased clearance and grant rates announced under the interim scheme are positive developments and reflect the increased cost of getting the work done, but the scheme does not compensate farmers for the loss of timber earnings.
“These farmers have been left with nothing. Until the government acknowledges the financial loss and provides compensation to farmers by reinstating a 20-year premium on the replanted land, we will never see farmers planting at the rates required to meet our climate targets,” he said.
Under the interim scheme, the site clearance grant rate has increased to €2,000 and grant rates are in line with the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027.
Applicants whose sites are still in premium will continue to receive this for the remaining years, but will be eligible for a premium top up to the new rate of the forest type established.