The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has issued 42 afforestation licences to date this year.
This is is approximately 2% of what is required for the government to meet afforestation targets, according to the Social, Economic Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland (SEEFA).
The latest forestry licensing dashboard up to the first week of November shows that 87 afforestation applications have been received by the department so far in 2023.
Four hundred and sixty seven forestry roads applications have been made, while 179 licences have been issued.
“A 50% drop in road licences further tells the story of a system that is still completely broken, no matter which way you look at it,” SEEFA said.
The association accused Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, and Minister of State at DAFM, Pippa Hackett of failing the government and the forestry sector.
“Minister [Hackett], whilst you continue to claim that the new forestry programme is in place and that licensing improvements can be seen, these figures show that this is not the case and that there are no real improvements overall.
“Frankly, it is deplorable, the forest service are not fit for purpose,” SEEFA added.
The forestry dashboard shows that 52 afforestation licences, previously approved by the department, are now approved under the new Forestry Programme.
288 afforestation licences opted to enter the de minimus scheme which was in place before the new programme was approved by the EU Commission.
Afforestation licences
Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has said that the latest data on afforestation licences points towards a “staggering betrayal of a core Irish industry”.
“While there may have been some relatively good news on ash dieback recently, and the compensation package commitments, the broader story for Irish forestry remains utterly dismal thanks to the complete inability of the department to get a handle on the afforestation licensing crisis,” she said.
“You really have to wonder at this point just how much longer private forestry operators and farmers can hold out given the scale of the challenges that they are facing across the board,” Deputy Nolan added.
Independent Senator Victor Boyhan said that the decline in planting figures and afforestation licences being issued is “deeply concerning” and has “set back Ireland’s Climate Action Plan”.
“I am genuinely troubled by the slow progress and lack of real results for forestry, and the lack of support for great collaboration with the state and private forestry sector,” he said.
Senator Boyhan, who is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, reiterated his call on Minister McConalogue and his officials to meet with SEEFA.
“We need to work together to get the national forestry targets, planting and licensing regime significantly ramped up. 2003 is nearly up, it’s been a disappointing year for Irish forestry results,” he said.