Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 April 2018
53. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the net carbon stock in forests here will increase to 2050; if the planned harvesting boosted by bioenergy demand will decrease carbon stocks and reduce the carbon sequestration value of standing forest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17968/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is a country with low levels of forest cover compared to the European average and an uneven age class distribution in our forests stemming from our afforestation efforts over the last century. Forest growth and harvesting and the related changes in carbon stocks therefore occurs on an uneven basis. Based on research conducted by Teagasc, greenhouse gas removals by our forests will fluctuate significantly up to 2050 with an overall reduction in the carbon stock between now and 2050 before it increases again. This pattern is related to the age class distribution of our forests and is observed in other countries with similar levels of forest cover and age class distributions.
The use of wood for energy purposes plays an important role in substituting fossil fuels and can play an important role in decarbonising the Irish economy. In this context, forest based biomass will be central to the success of the “Sustainable Support for Renewable Heat” scheme which was launched recently by DCCAE and SEAI. This initiative is considered key to increasing the level of renewable energy production in Ireland. Based on the continuation of sustainable forest management, our forests have the capacity to produce over 4 million cubic metres of forest based biomass by 2035 suitable for energy production. This primarily comes from residues from timber processing and downgraded wood, and does not include the use of large diameter sawlog that feeds our sawmills and represents a higher value forest product from both an economic and climate change perspective.
The current Forestry Programme 2014 -2020 provides grants and premiums to encourage landowners to plant trees. So far under this programme over 18,000ha of new forests have been established. This means that forest cover is increasing in Ireland year on year as clearfell sites must be replanted. According to the National Forest Inventory 2012, the area of forests is estimated to be 731,650 ha or 10.5% of the total land area of Ireland; forest cover is estimated to be at its highest level in over 350 years. Demand for wood biomass for energy is forecast to more than double by 2025 and maintaining afforestation rates will be key to meeting this demand in the future.
A Regulation covering the Governance of the Energy Union is currently being negotiated which will likely include forecasts of greenhouse gas changes in the land use, land use change and forestry sector. Once this Regulation and timeframe has been agreed my Department will be conducting new long term forecasts of forest carbon stock changes.
