Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion. Its introduction is timely. We support the planting of more trees and the sustainable expansion of the timber industry whereby the additional forestry can act as a carbon store, provide income for farmers and enhance natural habitats and biodiversity.

Unfortunately, the current forestry scheme, as it is structured, simply does not work for farmers. The first problem with the current scheme is that it is tailored towards farmers in their 50s and 60s who are taking up the scheme as a retirement plan. One might ask why is that the case? It is because the premiums in general last for 15 years. Why would a younger farmer in their 30s or 40s convert his or her land into forestry when it will not bring in any income after 15 years? What Sinn Féin and many young farmers seek is a forestry scheme that is committed to long-term strategic thinking and planning. They want to be able to commit to agroforestry schemes over 30 to 40 years throughout the planting, thinning and management process, and rightly so, and they want to receive premium grants for undertaking such action.

The current scheme is having a detrimental impact on many rural locations. We are witnessing the depopulation of sustainable farms and the increase of corporate forestry, which is having a serious impact on local economies and on the environment.

That can be seen on the Laois side, as well as the Offaly side, of the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains.

We need a forestry policy that does not replace farmers but complements farming with forestry. That is where agroforestry works best. This involves unfarmed forestry, which would be in addition to livestock and tillage and not a replacement for it. It would provide farmers with a more sustainable farming model with increased production and other sources of income, as well as increasing carbon sequestration, which is urgently needed.

The fact we have the second lowest acreage of forestry in the EU shows how critical it is that we do this. Only Malta surpasses us in this regard. Given the country’s climate, we should be nearer the top.

Farmers should not be penalised for protecting hedgerows, which is currently happening under Common Agricultural Policy rules. That needs to change in the forthcoming Common Agricultural Policy negotiations. We must also put in place schemes to protect hedgerows. Livestock farmers are incentivised to remove hedgerows to increase their farm sizes. That needs to change.

When the Common Agricultural Policy reforms come through, the necessary changes must be made to bring about a positive environmental impact in order that forestry can act as carbon storage and provide natural land drainage. Overall, we want a forestry scheme which works for farmers and the environment, along with long-term thinking and planning to allow a sustainable forestry and timber industry.

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