Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022
826. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of the 4,245 hectares which licences were given out to for afforestation that were afforested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6000/22]
View answerAfforestation licences have a three-year validity and therefore the 4,200 ha's licensed last year can be planted within that timeframe. I would obviously encourage any landowner to do so immediately and enjoy the significant economic benefits of doing so.
Improved licensing output has a role to play in building confidence among farmers and landowners, and in increasing demand for licences and planting rates. That is why I am attaching such importance to improving output in 2022. We are already making progress. However, we also need to address the broader issue of increasing the level of interest in planting among farmers and landowners. In 2021, there were 502 afforestation licences issued. Those licences would have facilitated the planting of over 4,200 ha, but only 2,000 ha have been planted to date. The conversion rate from licensing to planting, at about 64%, is low. This means that at present, a disproportionate amount of processing effort both by the Department and forestry companies is wasted.
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, I am equally concerned about the decline in the number of applications for planting licences in recent years. This should be of concern to all of us who want to see more trees planted in Ireland. In addition to the progress made already, my department has, through Project Woodland, commissioned reviews of its processes and the regulatory framework with a view to further increasing the efficiency of the licensing system. I am also introducing an amendment to the Forestry Act 2014 to facilitate small scale tree-planting without the need for a licence.
But we also have to get much better at communicating the benefits of forestry to those we are trying to encourage to plant trees. On most farms, planting can comfortably co-exist with livestock enterprises and can significantly increase the net income from the holding.
Farmers who plant trees on a portion of their lands, can continue to engage in their traditional farm enterprises. They can also continue to receive their Basic Payment on planted lands, and will receive grants to cover establishment costs, generous premia over 15 years and substantial tax free income at thinning and harvesting time.
It is critically important that everyone with an interest in developing the sector works closely together to communicate these extraordinarily positive messages to farmers and landowners. If we want to succeed in increasing the level of interest in forestry among those we wish to encourage to plant, we must also work together to communicate this positive message consistently. I look forward to working closely with foresters and farmers to do this.
