“Evolving land use models incorporating forestry are creating carbon-smart agriculture”, along with “empowering less intensive agriculture methodologies through which farmers gain and in which industrialisation is not the drumbeat of Irish farming”, according to a Green Party TD.

Deputy Francis Noel Duffy was speaking in the Dáil this week on the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021.

The deputy said that farmers and their families need to be supported so they can earn “appropriate incomes from their farms”, and that “diversification of land use practice will make this happen”.

Fastest growing forestry sector

“Ireland has the fastest growing forestry sector in Europe, with forest currently covering 10% of our land after coming from a standing start of just 1% in 1923,” the deputy said.

“Our maritime climate is unique in Europe. We can grow trees at twice the speed of our European partners.

“In recent years we established our own structural grade construction timber, C16. In the main, we export this relatively new sustainable construction material to the UK to build homes.

“Many farmers have already begun to diversify their land, which will see Ireland doubling its roundwood harvest over the next 20 years, increasing the existing rural workforce in this sector with sustainable employment and revenues of up to €6 billion.”

Labour Party agricultural spokesperson Seán Sherlock said that Ireland has “an abundance of land available”, with a damp climate and the best weather conditions in which to grow trees. 

“There has always been plenty of interest from landowners in Ireland in planting their land, yet the department is failing to capitalise on this interest and convert it into planted hectares,” the deputy said.

He added that the current administrative process “is completely compromising government planting targets and the national interest”.

Sector grinding to a halt

Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill agreed that forestry can play a significant role in meeting climate change challenges – but “unfortunately, our forestry sector in this country is grinding to a halt”.

“We introduced legislation last year to deal with the appeals mechanism that was delaying the process,” the Tipperary TD said.

“Unfortunately, the department is still not functioning in this regard. Our forestry sector is grinding to a halt because of the failure and bureaucracy of the department in getting licences issued.

“The public and the people involved in the forestry sector have completely lost confidence in the industry.

“In 30 years’ time, people will wonder why Ireland stopped meeting its afforestation targets. In this year of 2021, we will be lucky to hit 25% of the targets in the Programme for Government.

“If we are serious about climate change and about tackling the issues around it, we have to have a viable forestry sector.”

Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly’s contribution was that there is a difference between a plantation and forestry – and that “we must have more emphasis on forestry and not on plantations”.