Sinn Féin’s spokesperson for Agriculture, Claire Kerrane, has called on the government to engage with the country’s forestry sector on the Ash Dieback Scheme, which she described as “shambolic”.
Kerrane’s comments come after a group of protesters affected by the disease held a protest outside the Dáil last week.
This was in response to cabinet approval for the ‘Ash Dieback Action Plan’ (Tuesday, April 30) which outlined increased grant rates for clearing and replanting on affected ash plantations.
Under the plan a €5,000/ha Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP) will be provided to affected forest owners, separate from the clearing and replanting grants.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) also confirmed that there will be an increase in the site clearance grant rate, from €1,000 to €2,000, under the Forestry Programme.
Ash Dieback
But according to the Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon and Galway, the protest last week highlighted what is at the heart of the issue in relation to the latest Ash dieback scheme.
“The current scheme, even with slight tweaks made to it in recent weeks, is not workable, it is incapable of dealing with the issue of ash dieback and changes to it are needed urgently,” Kerrane stated.
“Once again, the government have failed to listen to the experts and those affected on what they actually need to deal with this disaster once and for all. And while this is allowed to rumble on, confidence in the forestry sector remains on the floor.
“The clearance grant cannot be one size fits all, depending on the age of the trees, the clearance costs can vary and this needs to be acknowledged in the scheme.
“If it isn’t, trees are going to be left rotting and lives are going to put at risk. This is just one issue with the current scheme,” she added.
Kerrane has called on Minister Pippa Hackett to work with representatives from the Limerick & Tipperary Woodland Owners and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) to make the Ash Dieback Scheme “fit for purpose”.
“If the forestry sector in Ireland is to have any hope at all, ash dieback needs to be dealt with once and for all.
“All affected trees must be carefully and properly removed as quickly as possible and those who are not interested in re-planting should be allowed to restore their land, as they so wish,” she said.