Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Like many policy areas, the crisis within the forestry sector has increasingly worsened under this Government. We have a target to achieve 18% forest cover by 2050. While the Government set a target of 8,000 ha of new forestry each year, it has only achieved 25% to 30% of the target each year to date.

COFORD advises that 16,000 ha of annual afforestation is required to achieve our target. At current pace, the Government is failing miserably. The Department is taking too long to process applications - in some instances several years. Applicants have lost confidence in the process. Many who have finally been granted licences this year are choosing not to plant because they fear similar delays when they apply for licences to fell.

Landowners who had been considering planting trees are staying away in their droves because they have heard of the bad experiences of others. In recent weeks, further issues have arisen with the forestry programme, which meant that forestry companies were unable to market services to landowners as the level of grant supports was unknown. I find that incredible. The Government has been slow in publishing this payment, while the public consultation on the programme is ongoing, and there are no details available on the programme itself.

These delays are costing jobs, investment and the health of the planet. We need action immediately to move towards a resolution.

The Mackinnon report, first published in 2019, provided the solutions to resolve this crisis. In typical time-wasting and money-wasting fashion, the Government commissioned an implementation report of that report and has since conducted a series of reports on the basis of that report. It is a Russian doll scenario at this point.

The first action to resolve this crisis should be to establish a statutory period within which a decision will be provided to applicants, similar to that in the general planning system. We need to look at best practice in other countries. Scotland commissioned the same civil servant, Jim Mackinnon, to review its forestry sector. Its afforestation rates stabilised within 12 months and returned to pre-crisis levels within 24 months. Targets of doubling pre-crisis levels of afforestation by 2025 have been set at 18,000 ha.

We also need a specific strategy to increase the planting of native broadleaf species, especially on farms. More must be done to persuade farmers to return to the sector. They are guardians of the land, they are at the coalface of climate action and we need to treat them with the respect they deserve. Over the past 40 years, 80% of private lands that have been afforested have been done by farmers. Restoring farmer confidence and reversing their flight from the sector will be crucial to delivering the necessary change. The recent report on licensing throughout the European Union must be acted on. We must provide a streamlined licensing process without impinging on public consultation while providing for environmental oversight, as is in place in other EU countries. Anyone who has flown into a major European city during the daytime will have looked out the aeroplane window and seen how far ahead of us other European countries are. Sorting out this mess is a no-brainer from a climate action point of view and from a public health and well-being point of view. Coillte is good at what it does. Let us take, for example, Moore Abbey Wood in Monasterevin, Killinthomas Wood in Rathangan or Donadea Forest Park. We should support Coillte but not forget farmers and landowners.

I am concerned at recent reports that Coillte is to enter into a joint venture with a private equity fund. We need to know what portion of the allocation is expected to be soaked up through this mechanism. There is no point in killing the goose that lays the golden egg and then giving its lifeless body to a private equity fund. The fundamental issue of ash dieback remains unaddressed, and the manner in which those affected have been treated is a source of negativity. This needs to be addressed if we are to restore confidence in the sector. We need action fast. The best time to act was when this crisis first developed; the second best time is now. There should be no more reports and no more delays; let us get on with it.

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