Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (LTWO) has called for a suspension of the ash dieback scheme until a new government is in place.
The calls follow a meeting of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM) ash dieback taskforce in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
It emerged that the area of the original ash plantation will be reduced when calculating eligibility for replanting grants, which the LTWO described as “unworkable”.
The group also stated that it emerged at the meeting that the future costs of all diseased trees will be borne 100% by the woodland owner. And that the trees cannot be removed without the department’s permission.
Chair of the LTWO, who is also part of the taskforce, Simon White said that two of the largest political parties “pledged to improve” the ash dieback scheme in their manifestos.
While Senator Pippa Hackett remains Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity until the new government is formed, White said that “it is pointless for DAFM to keep pushing a policy on farmers that is so unfair”.
The LTWO stated that it “hopes” that the next group meeting on March 3, 2025 will be “more constructive” and that the new ministers and DAFM officials will “take on board the feedback” from these meetings.
“Ireland will continue to miss its planting targets if government does restore trust among existing and potential woodland owners in its ability to safeguard our forests,” LTWO stated.
The taskforce has the purpose of facilitating a swift implementation of the Ash Dieback Action Plan, with four meetings a year for a period of three years.
Under the remit of the scheme currently, farmers have 12 months to complete site clearances from the date of their approval in the scheme, with a total period of 18 months allowed from the date of approval to replanting, or two years in the case of clear-felling of a commercial plantation.