A survey seeking people’s views on forestry, commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), has cost the taxpayer almost €23,000.
On January 4, 2022, Minister of State with responsibility for the sector, Pippa Hackett announced plans for an extensive consultation on the new National Forestry Strategy and next forestry programme.
The new strategy is due to be published by June and is a key commitment for Project Woodland, which was established to address the current licensing backlog.
Along with an event, modelled on the Citizens Assembly, which is due to take place in the coming months, Hackett said that the DAFM had also engaged a professional polling company to survey 1,000 people on their views and attitudes on forestry last November and December.
Initial results showed that three out of four people would like more forests and seven in 10 respondents want a mixture of conifers and broadleaf species.
Forestry Survey
However, independent TD, Carol Nolan has questioned the need for the poll to have been conducted in the first place.
Following a parliamentary question from the Laois-Offaly public representative, the DAFM confirmed that the survey cost €22,635.
“I am a firm believer in the need to create spaces and platforms in which the public can share their views on policy areas that have an impact on their lives. That should be a given as far as I am concerned.
“However, we have known for several years now that there is an overwhelmingly positive attitude to forests and afforestation in this country, and that in general terms many people have great memories of time spend walking or hiking in forests,” Nolan said.
The TD outlined that a survey commissioned by Coillte during National Tree Week in March 2021 showed that 86% of people wanted more trees to be grown.
That study also revealed that 91% of respondents understood that trees convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen and clean the air that we breathe.
“In light of this already existing data, I really do question the cost-benefit value of this latest commercial poll which has just landed the general public with a bill of almost €23,000,” Nolan stated.
The TD added that the Forestry Policy Group routinely performs analysis which is being used for the new strategy.
“I would therefore urge Minister Hackett to avoid duplicating work that already exists and to focus instead on the addressing full-time the ongoing crisis within the commercial forestry licencing sector,” Nolan concluded.