Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the forestry targets in the climate action plan are sufficiently ambitious; his plans to achieve or surpass them in view of the ongoing challenges in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60843/21]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister about the climate action plan targets for forestry. First, what are they because it is not entirely clear and we have not seen the annexe? What is his understanding of the commitment? Is the figure 8,000 ha per annum and, if so, will that be enough? When will the annexe be printed? How many hectares have been planted this year?

Pippa Hackett (Green Party)
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The climate action plan 2021 highlights the importance of forestry in removing from and storing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Ireland's forests are a net sink of carbon dioxide and the timber produced also stores carbon in long-lived harvested wood products.

It is for this reason that the climate action plan recognises the importance of maintaining our forest areas, preventing deforestation and increasing the amount of wood used in construction. It also highlights the importance of afforestation.

The Climate Action Plan 2021 sets an afforestation target of 8,000 ha per year, which builds on the significant amounts of afforestation carried out since the 1990s. This target is ambitious when compared with recent afforestation rates and will be challenging to meet in the next decade. However, it something we must achieve. My Department is committed to addressing the current barriers, particularly with regard to licensing - especially afforestation licensing - which have, as we have seen, resulted in low afforestation rates in recent years.

Project Woodland, which I established earlier this year, is examining a number of work streams. This includes a focus on reducing the backlog in licensing, which is having an effect across the board in respect of licence output. It has also initiated a regulatory review, through which we will be looking at efficiencies in work processes with regard to how we deliver on licences.

Key to the success of increasing afforestation rates is the building of confidence among landowners and farmers regarding the benefits of forestry. The forestry programme has a wide range of generous grants and premiums to incentivise landowners to plant trees. I am aware that some stakeholders are calling for higher afforestation targets, in excess of 8,000 ha. That may well be required but we have to try to get on the right track and start planting the trees we need to plant. That is where we need to get to. That is what we aspire to.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I will quote directly from the climate action plan, which states: "Afforestation is the single largest land-based climate change mitigation measure available to Ireland." That means that this is incredibly important and that we have to get it right if we are to have any hope. The plan states that land use, land use change and forestry, LULUCF, emits a net total of 4.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, although there is work still to be done on those figures. We are entering a period of carbon losses from forestry as harvesting outstrips growth and regrowth. We have missed our targets since 1996. There is something fundamentally wrong here. The State needs to lead from the front on this. What is the current backlog for licensing? How many hectares have the State and its agencies planted this year?

Pippa Hackett (Green Party)
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We absolutely accept that there are significant issues with regard to licensing and getting licences out there. It may be worth noting that in the region of 5,000 ha are currently licensed for planting that are not being planted, for whatever reason. It is important that we understand those reasons and find out why landowners who have been issued with licences to plant have chosen not to. That is also a concern. I ask that landowners who have received licences to plant to please do so. We are entering the time for planting at the moment. It is important that we get those trees in the ground. It would be worthwhile to reach out to those individuals to ask why they have not planted because others are scrambling to get licences which are not forthcoming.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister but none of that inspires confidence at all. We know that the decisions and measures we take today will have an effect in the future. The chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, clearly told the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action yesterday that there is a need to act quickly, to get this done correctly, to be ambitious and not just to wonder why we are reaching our targets, but to actually deliver on them and increase our ambition. We also heard these comments in the media. I ask again, what is the backlog in respect of licences? Are the State and its agencies leading from the front? How many acres have they planted? Forward counting was provided for by the CCAC. Is this something the State is going to do? This has been reported in the media. I have concerns about that. Is the State going to begin forward counting in respect of forestry?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I will allow Deputy Bacik to speak before the Minister of State comes in.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I will follow on from my earlier question, in which I raised concerns about delays in the issuing of licences for forestry, as it fits in with this question. I just wanted to confirm a point. I believe the Minister of State said that just 50 licences were issued in November.

Pippa Hackett (Green Party)
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There were 50 licences for afforestation.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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They were for afforestation, yes. The Minister of State said she was hopeful that we would reach 4,000 by the end of the year.

Pippa Hackett (Green Party)
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The 4,000 refers to all licences.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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The problem is the lack of detail as to how we are going to meet the targets in the climate action plan and how forestry targets will fit within that. I thank the Minister of State for confirming that the detailed annex to the climate action plan, including a timeline, will be published before the end of the year, which would be within the next three weeks. Will she confirm whether it will be published next week, before the Dáil finishes sitting next Thursday? It is crucial that climate spokespersons in the Opposition have a chance to look at that, debate it and see how we propose to reach those ambitious targets on forestry, afforestation, Project Woodland, the development of farm forests, as endorsed by Teagasc, and so much more.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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In the climate action plan, the target for sequestration from forestry post 2030 is 2.1 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, but that is premised on the assumption that we will plant 8,000 ha of new forestry each year. There is not a hope that we will reach that goal. The Minister of State asked why farmers who have licences are not planting. She has asked that question three times that I am aware of in Dáil debates. She has said it would be interesting to find out why. Why has she not asked them? I can tell her what those I know who have such licences are saying. They tell me that the experience of ash dieback has had a big impact and acts as a disincentive for even those who have licences to enter forestry. There is also a backlog in felling and roads licensing for those who have previously planted. The potential to enter into the agri-environmental scheme is particularly important. There is also a need for a specific payment to encourage the planting of broadleaf species, which are much more popular within communities. Is the Minister of State going to do any of those things or resolve any of those matters?

Pippa Hackett (Green Party)
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There is no doubt but that there are some significant challenges ahead in getting farmers and landowners engaged in planting. We are looking at incentivising small-scale planting. These would be non-commercial plantations of native species. These could be counted towards our carbon inventory. I am hopeful that we will have something on that very soon and that we will be able to roll out something for landowners, perhaps next year. This will not involve the jumping through hoops required for forestry licensing, which is onerous. The independent regulatory review is also looking at the concerns and the delays in the system from the day a farmer or forestry company decides to plant trees onwards. It will examine the process and try to identify where the issues are. We have tried to address the issues. We have put in more resources and more people. While there have been net improvements, we are not where we need to be. That is why this regulatory review will be crucial. It will hopefully uncover where those backlogs are throughout the system. I do not have current figures on the backlogs with me but I will have them sent on to the Deputies.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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Will the Minister of State refer to the annex?

Pippa Hackett (Green Party)
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I do not have a date for the annex. I hope it will be published in the coming weeks.