Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
2488. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of engagement his Department has with the nursery sector on species required to meet the climate action targets given the three year lead in time involved to produce saplings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19059/21]
View answerThe Department meets with the forestry sector and stakeholders on several different forums to discuss matters of relevance to forestry. The Climate Action Plan target is to establish an 8,000ha annual afforestation programme. The achievement of this target will depend on a number of factors such as the willingness of landowners to avail of the afforestation scheme and land available for afforestation. The availability of planting material is also crucial, particularly where a lead in time is required to have plants ready for planting to match demand in any given year.
The COFORD Council and its working groups are key stakeholder platforms for Irish forestry. The COFORD Council is an advisory body appointed by the Minister to advise on matters relating to forestry and includes a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from the two largest forest tree nurseries.
The COFORD Council has established a sub-group called the Forest Genetic Resources Working Group and its membership includes forest tree nurseries, Teagasc, National Botanic Gardens, University College Dublin, Woodland of Ireland, Northern Ireland Forest Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service and is chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
In December 2020, the COFORD Council published their work in their report called “Sustainable Development and Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources 2020-2030”. This report identifies key recommendations, including a detailed analysis of the existing forest reproductive material supply needs of the forest sector across several key commercial species and identifies barriers to future supply for the period 2020 - 2030. The work of the Forest Genetic Resources Working Group is now focused on the implementation of the Report’s recommendations and continues to meet, most recently in March 2021.
Seed production and availability will depend on the management of existing seed stands and orchards and future afforestation and reforestation programmes. The Department provides funding through the Forest Genetic Resources Reproductive Material: Seed Stand and Seed Orchard Scheme which includes a number of objectives such as increasing the self-sufficiency in tree seed production and to provide breeding populations of designated broadleaf species.
The two main forest nurseries are also represented on the Forest Policy Implementation Group that meet regularly with Minister Hackett and both nurseries are also represented on the working groups for Project Woodland. Separately, the Department regularly meet with IBEC's Forest Industries Ireland of which both nurseries are members.
