Minister of State for land use and biodiversity Pippa Hackett has published the latest Annual Forest Statistics Report for 2024, saying there is a “clear need” to pick up the pace of afforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The annual report, prepared by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, provides an annual compilation on Ireland’s forest sector and the forest industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department said these statistics provide stakeholders with a “repository of reliable and transparent information about the forest sector over the past year”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commenting on the report, Minister Hackett said: “This annual report provides vital information for researchers, students and practitioners who wish to understand where the sector sits in our overall national economic picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“Clearly the pace at which we are expanding our forest estate needs to increase substantially.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
“The impact of the length of the state aid approval process for the new Forestry Programme is reflected in the afforestation figures for last year, with afforestation under the new Forestry Programme only beginning in September 2023,” she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister said that over 4,000ha had been made available for planting by the forest service since then, which she said she expects would result in increased afforestation figures for 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“While afforestation is ultimately a voluntary land use choice and there is much competition for land in the current market, the significantly increased funding in place for the new programme, combined with efficiencies in the licencing process, make afforestation a highly attractive for farmers and landowners,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the report, total expenditure on forest activities, including maintenance grants, grants for forest road infrastructure, annual premium payments and supports for the afforestation of 1,651ha, was \u20ac73.8 million in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The percentage of broadleaves<\/a> in new forests created during 2023 was 54%, which is the first time that the proportion of broadleaves planted exceeded conifer tree planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2023 also saw the construction of 78km of private forest roads, an increase of 8km over 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other standout 2023 statistics from the report include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- The greatest afforestation took place in Co. Roscommon with 189ha, followed by Co. Galway with 139ha;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The percentage of land afforested by farmers during 2023 was 47%<\/a>, which was up from 23% in the previous year;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In 2023, 57% of the area afforested was by those aged 60 years or more and for those in receipt of premium payments, 61% were aged 60 years or more;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In 2023, a total of 3.5t of pedunculate oak seed was sown in forestry nurseries, equating to over 3.4 million plants. The other main broadleaf species were downy birch and common alder. The main conifer species included Sitka spruce, Scots pine and lodgepole pine;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- During 2023, felling licences were issued for the thinning of 8,144ha and the clearfelling of 24,444ha;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Approximately half of Ireland\u2019s forest estate is certified by international non-governmental organisations to promote good forest practice. The vast majority of this area is in the public forest estate, with 33,064ha of private forests currently certified;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- In 2022 Ireland\u2019s forests removed 2.4m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, an increase of 0.34m tonnes compared to 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n