Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 May 2025
321. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the requirement to replant land where plantations were badly damaged due to Storm Éowyn will be reviewed, taking into account that some of these areas are not suitable for plantation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22010/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraForestry in Ireland operates within a legal and regulatory framework – the Forest Act 2014 and the Forestry Regulations 2017 (SI No 191 of 2017).
The Forestry Act requires that forest owners who wish to fell their forests require a felling licence. The reason why a felling licence is required, in general, is to ensure that trees in a forest are harvested and removed in a way that does not harm the environment and that there is an opportunity for a legal provision to have a replanting condition on that land. These reasons are still relevant where a forest is windblown.
Notwithstanding the requirement for a felling licence and the general policy to attach a replanting condition to clearfell licences as per good forest practice, my Department has laid out in its ‘Felling and Reforestation Policy’ document, certain instances where forest areas may be felled and the Department will not require that land to be replanted. For instance, where a case is put to my Department by the applicant that there are overriding environmental considerations, my Department will consider waiving the replanting condition.
I would also like to highlight that the EU Deforestation Regulation entered into force in June 2023 and under this Regulation, any operator or trader who places certain commodities (including cattle and timber) on the EU market, or exports from it, must be able to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to forest degradation.
