Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2025
754. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s work to raise awareness among forest owners of the impact of timing when deciding to fell their forest, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55517/25]
View answerMy Department developed a Felling Decision Tool to provide forest owners and managers with information on the estimated timber revenues for future management interventions. This tool may be used to assist in deciding when to fell a forest, by providing financial information on the implication of felling earlier or later than when the financial returns are normally at their highest.
The Felling Decision Tool has been promoted in the following ways during 2025:
• An information note has been prepared on the Felling Decision Tool which is available online. Hard copies of the note were also prepared for dissemination at DAFM funded knowledge transfer events.
• In the context of the Storm events awareness was also drawn to the Felling Decision Tool through a press release.
• A circular was issued to all registered foresters and stakeholders titled: Circular 14 of 2025: Availability of Forestry Decision Support Tools.
• An online video was published to demonstrate the use of the tool and provide greater visibility to the tool.
Delaying the felling of a forest can retain and grow the carbon stocks within a forest for an additional period of time. Research has shown that this extension of rotation age can offer one of the largest, most cost-effective and short-term pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration. However, forest owners and managers have to be mindful of the impact of extending the forest rotation on aspects such as forest stability, delay in obtaining clearfell revenue and marketability of larger log sizes.
