Written Answers Nos. 279-298
279. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to reports that families involved in the CUH incineration scandal are still awaiting a meeting with the HSE following the publication of the report into the scandal. [9429/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirstly, I would like to again express my deepest sympathy to the 18 families in Cork who, having experienced the tragedy of losing a beloved child, then had the difficult experience of learning that the organs of their child were disposed of without their consent. I am very cognisant of the paramount importance of dignity and respect for parents who have experienced the loss of a child and am committed to ensuring that this does not happen again to parents of deceased children, or any other individual.
The Health Service Executive (HSE), South/South West Hospital Group, Cork University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital advise that they apologised to the bereaved families and very much regret the incident.
The HSE shared the final systems analysis review report with the affected families on Friday 25th November 2022.
The Health Service Executive (HSE), South/South West Hospital Group advise that all families were engaged with prior to publishing this report on how this wish to receive the report. This included an offer to meet with the hospital in receiving the report and the hospital going through the report in person with the family. The HSE advise that the cover letter to all families, in sending the report to them, reiterated the offer of a meeting at a time and date suitable to the family. The HSE advise that the families have been and will continue to be offered ongoing contact, care and support.
281. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details of how he will approve grants for any State-backed forestry investment fund, given the clear judgment of the European Court in 2003 that legal persons owned and controlled by the State are eligible for aid to cover the costs of afforestation and maintenance of forests in the same way as any other natural or legal person, but that they are not, however, eligible for aid to compensate for a loss of income from agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9319/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHistorically afforestation premia were provided for under European Council regulation 2080/92 and were available to both farmers and non-farmers. Lower maximum rates applied in the case of non-farmers. Within this regulation, non-farmers were defined as any other private, natural or legal person. I would draw your attention to the landmark 2003 ECJ judgement for case No. 339-00 where it was held that, “as a public undertaking Coillte Teoranta was not eligible to receive aid to compensate for a loss of income arising from forestation”. This has resulted in the fact that Coillte to date, has not been eligible to receive aid to compensate for a loss of income arising from afforestation from my Department.
Ireland’s current afforestation premia are offered under the guidelines for State aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas. These guidelines were revised last year and the updated guidelines have now come into effect from the 1st January 2023. The revised guidelines, under Section 2.1.1 (Aid for afforestation and creation of woodland) and Section 2.3 (Aid for forest-environment and climate services and forest conservation) now include the possibility of public landowners to avail as beneficiaries without restrictions. My Department is currently seeking legal advice on the matter and due consideration will then be given to its application under the next Forestry Programme.
282. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the cost-benefit analysis for Irish forestry provided as part of Ireland’s current application for State aid; if he can assure this Deputy that the criticism of the Comptroller and Auditor General in 2018 that the previous cost benefit analysis for State Aid 2014 - 2021 failed to account for a number of factors, including the tax free status treatment of forestry, the cost of agricultural supports, and the displacement of other activities, have been fully and entirely addressed in the new cost-benefit analysis (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9320/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra292. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the Government did not conduct an up-to-date cost benefit analysis based on the social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainable forest management of the new Forestry Strategy/Programme that included water and soil damage to decide public good value for money, given the huge expenditure of €1.3 billion announced for the next five years for forestry for public good value for money (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9330/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 292 together.
The Deputy will be aware that Forestry in Ireland has undergone several significant changes in focus in recent decades and that the Shared National Vision for Forests and Trees launched by my Department early last year is built on the principle of the right trees in the right places for the right reasons with the right management. The Forest Strategy anticipates that by 2050 Ireland's forests will be a cornerstone in an inclusive and sustainable rural economy while assisting in achieving climate and biodiversity goals as well as being a major contributor to people’s health and well-being. The Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is an important first element in implementing this vision and strategy after extensive public consultation and stakeholder engagement.
It was within this framework that my Department commissioned an economic analysis which included an examination of the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Net present Value (NPV) for farmers and non-farmers under the proposed programme in addition to a cost benefit analysis of the Afforestation and Roads measures of the proposed new programme.
CBA is an analytical tool used in the appraisal of major capital projects, providing decision makers with important information and insights in considering investment options and the commissioned economic analysis was considered in securing the €1.3 billion funding for our ambitious forestry programme. The CBA will also be submitted to the EU Commission as part of Ireland's formal state aid application in respect of the new Forestry Programme.
The Deputy will appreciate that CBA is not all-embracing as not all costs or benefits can be quantified or monetised and economic analysis of forestry presents particular challenges, not least due to the very long-term nature of the investment. This type of economic analysis of forestry has, however, advanced considerably in the last two decades.
• Water quality and regulation
• Recreation and leisure
• Landscape
• Biodiversity
• Cultural heritage
• Reduced agricultural emissions by displacement
• Employment.
The analysis had regard to significant non-monetary elements including positive and negative externalities and a comparison of proposed forestry measures with the opportunity costs of other farm enterprise types including displacement of agricultural activity.
The protection of water forms a key component of my Departments assessment of all applications for forestry licences and grants. My Department takes a preventative approach and have been very mindful of this in designing the new forest strategy and programme for 2023-2027. Likewise in designing the new programme my Department has ensured that peat soils and land formally designated as unenclosed will no longer be eligible for forestry. The general thrust of the new programme is towards planting on mineral soils.
The overall objective of the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is to provide support for Sustainable Forest Management with the potential to deliver ecosystem services and environmental and climate benefits with the underpinning principle for the intervention being “the right trees, in the right places, for the right reasons and with the right management” in order to ensure effective targeting of SFM measure to deliver biodiversity and climate action benefits.
283. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine given the advances in scientific knowledge about the emissions caused by forestry activities on organic soils summarised by the Environmental Protection Agency in July 2022, if the Government has revised the value of forestry sequestration from that used in the State aid application 2014 to 2021, when 39% of the benefit was calculated to come from carbon sequestration based on an assumed value of €39 per tonne of carbon dioxide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9321/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA significant amount of organic soils in Ireland were afforested during the second half of the 20th century. These areas were initially planted to create rural employment at a time when the importance of other functions, such as carbon storage, was not well understood.
When assessing the benefits of growing forests on organic soils, it is very important to consider the losses of carbon from organic soils as the removals from the growing forests may not offset the emissions from the drained organic soil.
A 2005 study of forests on blanket peats found that these areas emitted 0.59 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year. More recent research from 2021 funded by my Department has shown that forested blanket peatlands are emitting 1.68 tonnes of carbon per hectare. This new research has shown that emissions from forested peatlands are three times higher than previously estimated.
The significantly increased new emission factor for organic soils has been incorporated into the national inventory reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Department is currently finalising a new Forest Strategy 2023-2030 and associated implementation plan. As part of this process a cost-benefit analysis was undertaken which included an assessment of the benefits in terms of carbon removals by the proposed new forests.
Afforestation is now predominantly occurring on mineral soil types and the level of afforestation on organic soils is continuing to decrease. This trend is expected to increase in the next Forestry Programme 2023-2027.
When assessing the annual carbon sequestration rate of the proposed new forests during the cost-benefit analysis it is was assumed that all afforestation was on mineral soil. Therefore, the new emission factor for organic soils were not required to be incorporated into the analysis.
284. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he, as a golden shareholder, will call an EGM to amend the principal objects of the State forestry board of Coillte Teoranta from its sole definition as ‘commercial’ to include ‘environmental’ and ‘social’ factors, as is required under the definition of ‘sustainable development’, to which Ireland is committed; if he will indicate whether it is his intention to change Coillte’s mandate along these lines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9322/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies requires that Government Departments should ensure that they have written oversight agreements with State bodies under their aegis which clearly define the terms of the State body’s relationship with the relevant Minister/parent Department.
For commercial State bodies the oversight agreement between the relevant Minister/parent Department and the State body is the Shareholder Expectation Letter.
A Shareholder letter of Expectation issued to Coillte on 2nd June 2022. It is published on my Department's website and available at the following link gov.ie - Forestry policy and strategy (www.gov.ie). This letter clearly outlines my Department's requirements from Coillte in relation to environmental and social policies.
285. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will instruct the State forestry board of Coillte Teoranta to use the same metrics as the EPA and LULUCF carbon accounting and stop its practice of including carbon embedded in manufactured wood products and saved through product substitution, which is misleading the public as to their forestry’s contribution to Ireland’s carbon budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9323/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraForests and wood products provide significant climate change mitigation benefits, including the carbon storage in harvested wood products and substitution benefits associated with the use of wood instead of more fossil fuel intensive materials such as concrete and steel.
In August 2022, Coillte published Forests for Climate - Report on Carbon Modelling of the Coillte Estate. This report details an assessment undertaken to determine the current Greenhouse Gas (GHG) profile of Coillte’s existing managed forest estate and to identify and assess the GHG mitigation potential of silvicultural management options based on a number of assumptions set out in the report.
The report clearly sets out the system boundaries of the modelling work that was undertaken. The product substitution category is based on the allocation of harvested timber to harvested wood products including energy and the potential emissions avoided through the displacement of fossil fuel intensive materials.
The EPA and LULUCF reporting process includes harvested wood products but does not include the emission reductions associated with the displacement of fossil fuel intensive materials.
The modelling work undertaken by Coillte is not bound by the EPA and LULUCF reporting requirements. This approach is valid and provides another approach to assessing the contribution that forests and wood products provide in mitigating climate change. Importantly, the approach used by Coillte ensures that the displacement is additional mitigation and therefor valid for inclusion.
286. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the 2022 United National Global Peatlands Assessment which suggests that the inclusion of climate concerns would, because of the enormous carbon density of peat, lead to more shallow thresholds for example, 10 cm (details supplied); if he will concede that a shallower threshold for Ireland than 50 cm is now required in view of this best available scientific advice and his sector’s increasing failure to meet Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9324/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the Global Peatland Assessment undertaken by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the reference to the introduction of a 10cm peat depth threshold. The work makes the point that from a climate policy point of view, in tropical areas, peatlands of this depth are already approaching or surpassing the minimum carbon threshold of a high carbon stock forest.
As part of the implementation of the Forest Strategy 2023 to 2030, my Department is reassessing its policy with regard to future afforestation on organic soils, which will be informed by the Global Peatland Assessment. However it is important that country specific scientific knowledge is used to inform this decision. Applying a depth threshold that is based on the carbon stocks associated with tropical forests and wetlands is not appropriate given that Ireland is located in the temperate zone and the composition of our forests and wetlands will be completely different to the tropical zone.
287. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that no second or further forestry replanting is approved to take place on peat soils, given that the resulting emissions of greenhouse gases from the disturbance to these organic soils continue to peak on successive rotations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9325/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assure the Deputy that my Department recognises wetlands and peat soils as an important carbon pool in the Irish landscape. Reducing emissions by water table manipulation has the potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions from these soils and is a means to positively contribute to our climate change mitigation ambitions. This is an important part of Agriculture's overall contribution to emission reductions and is set out in the All of Government Climate Action Plan as highlighted in the targets set for the Agriculture, Forestry and Land-use sector.
With regard to forestry on Peatlands, approximately 50% of Coillte’s forests are on this soil type, which is a legacy from previous policies to plant on marginal lands for afforestation. Coillte have undertaken ecological surveys across its estate, in order to identify sites with significant potential for restoration to ecologically valuable wetland peatland habitat. During 2002 – 2015 Coillte completed three major peatland restoration projects under the EU LIFE Nature Programme, which targeted the restoration of more than 3,000ha of peatland habitats that had been identified as being of the highest ecological value and restoration potential. The area restored consists of 2,000ha of blanket bog and 1,300ha of raised bog habitat on the estate. During these projects the commercial forest plantation was removed, and the forest drains were blocked in order to rewet the peat.
A number of national research projects on carbon have included some of the Coillte peatland restoration sites in their work. Early results of this research indicate that peatlands restored after removal of forestry plantations may take several decades to stabilise and become carbon sinks. Indeed, some of these sites may be a significant source of carbon in the short term as peat is exposed during deforestation. This mirrors similar research carried out in other countries such as Canada. It appears that rewetting is a long-term undertaking. Coillte continues to monitor and maintain the restored peatland sites on its estate.
In addition, Coillte is a major beneficiary in a major new LIFE – IP project called the Wild Atlantic Nature, which will be led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and was approved by the EU. The project was aimed at a range of measures to upscale the restoration of and conservation of blanket bog in the western and north-western counties. Within this project Coillte will restore a further 160ha of undesignated blanket bog and wet heath habitats in Counties Mayo and Galway.
Finally, the removal of plantation forests from peatland habitats in designated sites is considered as part of the licensing process where non replanting can take place where there are overriding environmental reasons. This process is regulated/licensed by my Department which in turn consults with NPWS regarding the licensing and management of peatlands within sites designated for nature conservation. Based on this consultation process, landowners can be directed not to replant the forest (conversion to open bog land), or to convert the plantation to native woodland, depending on site conditions.
288. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the concerns of the European Commission over failures in Ireland’s forestry SEA report of October 2022, if any; if he will outline his proposals to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9326/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Forest Strategy Implementation Plan is subject to an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment/Appropriate Assessment (SEA/AA) process. As part of this process, the draft Plan containing the proposed Forestry Programme 2023-2027 was published on the 18th October 2022 for a six-week period of public consultation. Forestry stakeholders and the public were encouraged to take part in this significant consultation process and more than 150 submissions on the Plan were received. My Department is currently collating and integrating feedback from these submissions to help inform the final version.
Correspondence issued from the Commission to my Department in November 2022 which raised concerns with the SEA Report for the draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan which was published in October 2022. These concerns related to environmental issues and a response has issued from my Department directly addressing these points.
As the Deputy is aware, the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 also requires state aid to implement and the SEA/AA process is a critical step in the process of securing State Aid approval from the European Commission. Department officials are currently engaging intensively with the European Commission with a view to securing full state aid approval as soon as possible.
289. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the Forestry Service has not moved away from the inaccurate use of the sustained yield/clear fell and replant model whereby forested areas that are harvested are considered the same as standing forested areas if they are simply replanted, to an annual allowable cut proposed by the Forestry Policy Review Group in 2014 and included in a document (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9327/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not set a national allowable harvest and I am aware this was commented on in the report, Forest Products and People, a renewed vision published in 2014.
However, my Department does provide funding to COFORD to provide detailed production forecasts which outlines projected timber harvest volumes each year out to 2040.
This forecast is based on a number of assumptions and takes into account a wide range of factors, including long term sustainability of the harvest. It also assumes areas harvested are replanted and all felling licensed is in accordance with the provisions of the Forestry Act 2014.
My Department is well aware of the importance of sustained yield and that is why we continue to carry out detailed inventories of our National Forest Estate. This month my Department has published its fourth national forest inventory and it provides information on a wide variety of data related to forests, including gross increment.
The balance between gross increment and fellings is an important indicator as it describes the sustainability of wood production over time, the current availability of wood and the potential for the future.
Gross annual volume increment between 2017 and 2022 was 10 million cubic metres per year. The mean annual standing volume felled within this period was 4.1 million cubic metres per year. Less than half (41.3%) of the gross annual increment was felled between 2017 and 2022. This metric indicates that at a national level Ireland is not harvesting more than the increment of the forest.
The repeated NFI cycles have provided results on aspects such as forest area change, volume increment and latest felling volume estimates. This facilitates the assessment of changes in the state of Ireland’s forests over time. The total growing stock volume of Irish forests is estimated to be over 142 million m³, an increase of over 25.5 million m³ since 2017.
Details of Ireland's National Forest Inventory are available to download on my Department's website.
290. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the 44,000 ha of poor quality sitka spruce planted on farms with no access roads or thinning identified in the Forestry Policy Review Group report in 2014; the health and status of all broadleaved and native woodland sites across the entire forest area public and private; if he will furnish this Deputy with a report/analysis; if he will also include underperforming conifer sitka and lodgepole pine plantations across the entire forest area public and private; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9328/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has recently published results from the fourth National Forest Inventory which includes comprehensive information on the current extent, state and composition of the Ireland’s national forest estate. Information is included on all forest types, both public and private.
The NFI is the only systematic national assessment of forest damage in Irish forests. Information is collected on forest damage at the individual tree and plot level. Forest health and vitality is affected by both abiotic (e.g. wind) and biotic (e.g. deer) factors. The types of forest damage recorded are those which are most common or cause most damage to Ireland’s forests.
Overall, the forest estate appears healthy. While nearly two-thirds (63.2%) of stocked forest areas displayed signs of forest damage present, the severity of the damage was primarily low to moderate. Damage caused by animals, competing vegetation, exposure and nutrient deficiency were the most common damage.
Biotic damage was recorded on 260,738 ha or 36.2% of the forest area. Damage caused by animals (e.g. browsing by deer) was the most common type of biotic damage, followed by vegetation competition and harvesting operations. Ash dieback is now widespread and was noted to be present at 34,395 ha of forests visited.
Abiotic damage was recorded on 338,160 ha or 46.9% of the forest area. Damage caused by climatic factors (e.g. exposure) was the most common type of damage, followed by nutrient deficiency and anthropogenic factors.
My Department continues to monitor and assess the ongoing health and condition of our forests to ensure that the overall resilience and biodiversity of our forests is maintained. Further information on the National Forest Inventory may be obtained from the Department’s website.
Through the proposed new Forest Strategy and associated implementation plan my Department is committed to addressing access issues by providing financial support for the sustainable development of new forest roads to the national forest estate.
291. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine where is the science behind the Forestry Service/Coillte decision to reduce harvest rotation length from the UK scientific sustained yield measure of 45-60 years used by the old public forest manager the Forestry Service for decades before Coillte called for it to be reduced down to 25-30 years, and the impact this is having on increased soil, water and biodiversity impacts as well as reduced carbon stocks from cutting younger trees which cannot store as much carbon as older trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9329/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUp until the 1970s, the State policy in Ireland was largely to grow forests to rotation lengths of maximum mean annual increment. With increased demand for timber in the late 1970s, the Irish Forest Service, issued operational guidance to shorten the rotation lengths of some of the key forest commercial species to increase supply. For supply and market reasons, it has been customary in Ireland to adhere to rotations of maximum annual volume production, with rotation lengths shortened by between 20% and 30%. However, this should not be taken as a mandatory prescription for rotation lengths as other site factors are taken into account, including the land owners objectives. Deviating from rotation lengths can happen for a variety of reasons. These can include the felling of trees that have not grown successfully, or early felling of stands that are susceptible to blowing down. Considerations such as landscape, conservation and seed potential may also determine the length of rotation. Coillte is examining their estate and their strategic vision will see changes to how the estate is managed which will improve carbon stocks.
It is important to note that irrespective of the length of rotation all harvesting and felling is subject to the Forestry Act 2014. My Department can attach specific licensing conditions, in addition to good forest practice, to take into consideration a sites particular circumstances and limit any significant impacts on biodiversity and water quality. It is correct to say that growing trees for longer time periods can increase the carbon stock in forests. However a balance needs to struck between all the different functions a forest can provide such as timber, carbon and biodiversity.
293. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what has developed of the Coillte investment of 15 million punts worth of public forests used as equity in IFORUT in 1994 since Coillte have left IFORUT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9331/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraCoillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.
294. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide this Deputy with a copy of the University College Dublin attitudes to forestry survey results focused on counties Wicklow and Kerry, conducted by a person (details supplied) in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9333/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe study was carried out by University College Dublin on attitudes to forestry and was part of a masters programme facilitated by Dr Cara Augustenburg. As my Department did not commission this study I suggest the Deputy contact Dr Cara Augustenburg directly to request a copy of the survey results.
I would also like to inform the Deputy that my Department has carried out extensive consultation as part of the development of the new Shared Vision and Forest Strategy which included carrying out a Public and Attitudes Survey to forestry in 2021. The full report of its findings is available to download from my Departments website along with a number of other relevant public consultation reports.
295. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will verify a statement by a person (details supplied) related to the survey in 2020 that it was costing the Government approximately €17,000 per ha for an individual with yield class 22 to get €20,000 per ha at harvest time after 35 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9334/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a range of grants and premiums and the rates paid depends on the species planted. In the previous Forestry Programme 2014 to 2022, a grant of €3,815 was paid to establish a commercial forest, consisting of Sitka spruce with broadleaves and additional space for nature.
A premium was paid for 15 years at rate of €510 per hectare. Based on these rates a total of €11,465 is payable on a hectare if the forest establishes successfully. Higher premiums and grants are paid for broadleaved forests.
The value of a forest is dependent on a wide range of factors and it is difficult to provide exact figures. However my Department has developed a Felling Decision Tool to provide owners with information on estimated timber revenues at different stages in the forest cycle.
Using the Felling Decision Tool, it is possible to assess how clearfell revenue varies according to yield class. It was assumed that each stand was thinned three times prior to clearfell, the stand was clearfelled when it reached a tree size of 0.7 cubic metres and the timber price used was based on a five year average (i.e. 2015-2019).
|
Yield Class |
Clearfell Age |
Net Clearfell volume (m3/ha) |
Net Clearfell Revenue (€/ha) |
|
12 |
54 |
466 |
€26,305 |
|
14 |
47 |
427 |
€24,006 |
|
16 |
43 |
413 |
€23,361 |
|
18 |
39 |
394 |
€22,150 |
|
20 |
36 |
367 |
€20,673 |
|
22 |
35 |
357 |
€20,206 |
|
24 |
32 |
310 |
€17,391 |
|
26 |
31 |
312 |
€17,523 |
|
28 |
29 |
282 |
€15,893 |
|
Average Net Clear fell (€/ha) |
€20,834 |
The Felling Decision Tool is freely available on the Department’s website for users to explore the impact of management and felling age on clearfell revenue for a range of species.
In the example above the grants and premiums paid on a hectare of spruce are significantly less than the revenue generated from harvesting.
However it should be noted that the figures in the table above are indicative and revenues could be significantly lower if markets are less favourable at the time of sale, or quality and access is poor.
296. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Coillte and the forestry industry cannot provide full life cycle carbon accounting for its operations that include the full fossil fuel usage of the clear fell/replant model with high disturbance, especially given that Ireland is harvesting more with shorter rotations; the true carbon/fossil fuel cost of harvesters and loaders and trucks ferrying timber across Ireland to mills, and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9335/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra297. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline how not having full life cycle carbon accounting affects the carbon measuring and accounting for the Climate Action Plan and EU LULUCF and UNFCC climate reporting REF (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9336/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra298. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline how the full life cycle carbon accounting anomaly has been factored into the new Irish forestry strategy/programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9337/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 296 to 298, inclusive, together.
Ireland is a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under which the State is required to estimate and report its emissions and removals of greenhouse gas (GHG) from its sources or sinks on an annual basis.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performs the role of inventory agency in Ireland and undertakes all aspects of inventory preparation and management as well as the reporting of Ireland’s annual National Inventory Report (NIR) submission in accordance with international requirements.
The NIR includes emissions and removals from Forestry and Harvested Wood Products which are detailed under the key emission category of Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF). LULUCF reporting in the NIR accounts for the six top-level categories (Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland, Wetland, Settlement, Other land). For Forest Land, the net CO2 emissions to, or removals from, the atmosphere are to be reported with respect to overall carbon gain or loss for up to five relevant carbon pools.
These pools are above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, dead organic matter (litter and dead wood) and soils. The methodologies and emission factors used by Ireland to estimate GHG emissions are detailed in the EPA National Inventory Report.
As part of Ireland's NIR submission, the Energy source category covers all combustion sources of CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions and the fugitive emissions of these gases associated with the production, transport and distribution of fossil fuels. Under Road Transportation the emissions reported are computed from the amounts of petrol, diesel, LPG and biofuels provided for road transport in the national energy balance. Thus fossil fuel usage in the forest industry is accounted for in this category.
In addition to complying with the UNFCCC reporting guidelines, the annual NIR is intended to inform Irish Government departments and institutions involved in the national system, as well as other relevant stakeholders in Ireland, of the level of emissions and the methodology on how Irish GHG inventories are prepared. The in-depth analysis of key categories and the up-to-date data on emissions trends in the NIR provides essential information for the development of emissions projections and the development/implementation of the Climate Action Plan and the new Irish Forest Strategy/Programme.
In terms of full life cycle carbon accounting, studies are available which assess the GHG dynamics in the forest cycle and point toward the emissions from timber transport, road building and other activities as being a minor fraction of the positive GHG contribution of tree growth for typical productive forests. For such an analysis, it’s important to note that each forest site is very different and GHG dynamics are dependent on a number of variables including soil type, tree species, climate and previous land use. Coillte have undertaken a study to analyse fossil emissions in the forest product value chain. It identified that fossil emissions in the value chain were estimated at 0.38 million tCO2e for 2019.
This includes forest operations (7% of emissions), transport of wood to mill (17%), emissions resulting from mill processing (25%) and transport of products to customers (51%). Each product produced from Coillte forests were examined and supply chain emissions determined from local data and international forestry supply chain emissions studies.
