Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 May 2023
77. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine following a controversy (details supplied), the steps that are being taken to reform Coillte's approach to meeting Ireland's afforestation targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25306/23]
View answerIt is Government policy that Coillte, as the State forestry company, should play a leading role in addressing our climate change and biodiversity challenges as a core part of its remit. This is set out clearly in the Shareholder Letter of Expectation which I issued to the company last June, together with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as the other shareholding Minister.
Coillte has responded to this in their new Forestry Strategic Vision. This document aims to deliver multiple benefits from its forests and bring more focus to climate action, setting ambitious new targets on biodiversity and recreation, while continuing to deliver for the forest and wood products industry.
In its Vision, Coillte has indicated that their afforestation ambition is to enable the creation of 100,000 hectares of new forests by 2050, half of which will be native woodlands, providing a carbon sink of 18m tonnes of CO2. Coillte will also manage its existing forest estate to capture an additional 10m tonnes of CO2 by 2050. Its intend to increase the area of its forest estate being managed primarily for nature from 20% to 50% in the long term by enhancing and restoring biodiversity and planting new forests.
Coillte indicated that it would be an enabler of new afforestation in three main ways. Firstly, through the Coillte Nature initiative for planting native woodlands and, secondly, through its involvement in afforestation funds focussed on commercial forestry. The third way is through its partnership with other public bodies to afforest public lands.
In terms of the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund, Coillte is providing certain services to the Fund including the acquisition and management of new forestry land. To out it in context, Coillte has advised that the total area of new forests planted through the fund will deliver roughly 3.5% of the 100,000 hectares of new forests Coillte has committed to enabling by 2050.
Of the State’s overall national target of 450,000 hectares of new forests by 2050, the fund will plant less than 1% of that total. While this type of partnership is not our preferred option, it is one of a number of models the company will deploy in contributing to the State's overall forestry targets.In addition to the three options above, I have also asked Coillte to reflect on how specifically it can work more closely with the farmers and local communities to encourage a greater level of afforestation. Other viable options will of course can also be considered if they can make a meaningful contribution to Coillte's ambitious afforestation targets.
In addition my Department is continuing to engage with the EU Commission on the extent to which the State may directly fund Coillte’s afforestation efforts, through grant and premium payments under the new Forestry Programme.
I am satisfied that Coillte's mandate is fit for purpose and that its Strategic Vision is fully aligned with Government policy. It's essential now that we work intensively to ensure that these ambitious climate and biodiversity targets are met.
