Low afforestation figures 'undermining' forest strategy

Forest Industries Ireland (FII) has said that the low rate of afforestation in Ireland is “undermining” the national forest strategy.

The comments come as the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this week released data that showed the area of land that was afforested in Ireland in 2022 was 13% higher than it was in 2021.

The area afforested in 2022 was 2,273ha compared to 2,106ha afforested in 2021.

Broadleaf species comprised 42% of the afforestation area last year, while Sitka spruce trees accounted for 49% of the 2022 afforestation area.

Mark McAuley, director of FII, commenting on the new figures said: “It is good to see a small increase in the afforestation rate in 2022 but we are operating from a very low base.

“In reality, our planting figures should be up around 8,000ha per annum, not languishing around 2,000ha.

“These low numbers are undermining our whole national forest strategy. We are not planting enough trees to fight climate change and we are storing up a future problem for our timber supply in 30 years.”

FII has called on the government to urgently boost afforestation by launching and heavily promoting the new Forestry Programme.

FII added that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Maine “needs to get its house in order, reduce excessive licensing delays and take the regulatory stranglehold off the sector”.

“Farmers need to get back into planting forestry. Their confidence has been undermined by licensing delays and excessive regulation,” McAuley continued.

“The Department of Agriculture needs to look after farmers who want to go into forestry, treat them as important clients, and they will return to forestry.”