The Social Economic Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland (SEEFA) has welcomed the announcement by Minister of State for forestry Michael Healy-Rae of a windblow reconstitution scheme for private forest owners affected by Storm Darragh and Storm Éowyn earlier this year.

The scheme has been introduced to financially support forest owners with replanting forestry damaged by storms Darragh and Éowyn. 

These storms resulted in an estimated 26,000ha of forests being windblown, of which approximately 11,500ha were mainly farmer-owned forests. 

These forests contained an estimated 4.5 million cubic meters of timber, exceeding three times the annual harvest in the private sector in Ireland. 

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Commenting on the announcement, SEEFA chairperson Paddy Bruton said the announcement is "good news" for impacted forest owners but also for the wider industry, in terms of further restoring confidence.

He said: “Minister Healy Rae acted quickly following the storms by upgrading the felling license system, which removed potential licensing bottlenecks in the mobilisation of this windblown timber. 

Noreen Barrett, SEEFA vice public relations officer, also praised Minister Healy-Rae’s leadership for the sector in securing vital funding for this scheme.

Barrett said: “In announcing this scheme, the minister has again shown real commitment and support for the sector and delivered on his commitment that owners who proceeded with salvaging windblown timber would not be disadvantaged in the event a reconstitution grant be introduced.

“The confidence this gave to owners to proceed with salvage operations cannot be overestimated.”

‘Industry-led task force’

SEEFA treasurer Conor Daly, who is a constituent of Minister Healy-Rae, also welcomed the announcement.

Daly said: “Deputy Healy-Rae quickly established an industry-led task force in the immediate aftermath of Storm Éowyn and has again acted with speed in both securing and launching this scheme."

SEEFA is a private forestry sector representative group operating across the entire forestry supply chain.

Group membership comprises forest tree nurseries and forestry companies specialising in forest and woodland establishment, maintenance, ecology, road construction and harvesting.