An independent TD has accused Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with responsibility for forestry, Pippa Hackett of being “sound asleep”.
Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae said that the Irish forestry industry is facing a “crisis” over Minister Hackett’s “inaction” especially with a “long delay” in the issuing of licences.
The deputy’s comments come as the DAFM issued two afforestation licences in August, leading to a total of 12 licences for new plantings issued so far this year.
“I feel that [Minister Hackett] is sound asleep on the job and since she took over the situation has gone from bad to worse.
“The Green Party has been continuously telling us what to do to help the environment. One of the most basic things you can do is plant trees, take care of the sector and they are not doing [that], and seem completely unwilling or unable to do so.
“The situation has never been so bad since 1946 and it is time that the minister wakes up to this situation,” Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, who called on Minister Hackett to intervene, said.
DAFM figures for the week ending on August 25, show that 176ha were planted last month. This leas to a total of 1,197ha planted so far in 2023 compared to 1,699ha during the same period in 2022.
Forestry
The €308 million afforestation scheme which has been approved by the European Commission under the new €1.3 billion Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will open “shortly”, the DAFM said.
The DAFM confirmed that it cannot accept or issue grant-aided afforestation licences pending the opening of the new programme, but it is accepting non-grant aided afforestation licences.
Under an Interim Afforestation Scheme, those with valid afforestation licences issued before the end of 2022 can apply for the higher grant and premium rates of the new programme.
The DAFM has issued 12 non-grant aided afforestation licences to date, as well as financial approval to commence planting to 288 grant-aided licence holders, under the interim scheme, representing 1,750ha.
‘Bad to worse’
Meanwhile, the Social, Economic, Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland (SEEFA) has claimed that the delay in licensing has gone from “bad to worse”.
Until the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is in place, no applications are being processed and, according to SEEFA, the situation is “not going to improve”.
Even with the programme in place, the organisation said that without changes to how licence applications are processed, the Irish forestry industry will “remain crippled”.
The deputy supports requests by SEEFA to meet with the DAFM’s Secretary General, Brendan Gleeson to discuss their concerns. However, these requests, SEEFA said, “remain unanswered”.
The organisation said that urgent financial support is required to save jobs and ensure the availability of skilled personnel to promote and implement the new forestry programme.