Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 January 2024
472. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail, in tabular form, the net area of Sitka Spruce afforestation in Ireland each year from 2010 to 2023 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2573/24]
View answerThe Table below shows Sitka Spruce planting in each year from 2010-2023.
My Department is addressing the previous decrease in overall afforestation levels, (including that of Sitka Spruce). This includes launching the best funded, most attractive and most environmentally sustainable forestry programme for the years 2023-2027. My Department has also addressed the licensing issues which were previously impacting on recent planting levels. We now have a diverse forestry programme in place which offers farmers and other landowners an attractive and viable land use option, with 15 year premiums for non-farmers and 20 year premiums for farmers.
In November last year, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett appointed a new Steering Group to increase the use of timber in construction. This new Interdepartmental & Industry Steering Group on Timber in Construction brings together industry and government Departments to assess the needs of the sector and to increase the use of timber in construction. The group is tasked with examining potential obstacles to increasing the use of timber, including regulatory and standardisation challenges, and to maximising the use of home-grown timber.
|
Species |
Sitka spruce |
Total Area Planted |
Sitka spruce % of total area planted |
|
2010 |
3,267.30 |
8314 |
39 |
|
2011 |
3,200.10 |
6653 |
48 |
|
2012 |
3,576.00 |
6652 |
54 |
|
2013 |
3,902.70 |
6252 |
62 |
|
2014 |
3,992.10 |
6156 |
65 |
|
2015 |
4,230.80 |
6293 |
67 |
|
2016 |
4,554.20 |
6500 |
70 |
|
2017 |
3,854.60 |
5536 |
70 |
|
2018 |
2,644.40 |
4025 |
66 |
|
2019 |
2,377.40 |
3866 |
61 |
|
2020 |
1,422.20 |
2434 |
58 |
|
2021 |
1,018.00 |
2016 |
50 |
|
2022 |
1,116.40 |
2273 |
49 |
|
2023 |
635.58 |
1651 |
38 |
|
Total |
39,791.78 |
68621 |
58 |
