Forest owners with plantations destroyed by ash dieback are outraged by the rejection of proper compensation by Minister Charlie McConalogue. So says Nicholas Sweetman, chairperson of Irish Forest Owners (IF0).
The IFO is calling on the government to allow all forest owners with ash plantations to avail of the full afforestation premiums upon replanting. In addition, a just compensation package needs to be provided.
Ash dieback was first identified in the country in 2012 following the importation in 2009 of Department-certified infected plants from the continent where ash dieback was widespread. Since then, the disease has spread to every part of the country, obliterating almost all of the 24,000 Ha of ash trees planted under the Government’s afforestation scheme, as well as a high proportion of pre-existing ash plantations and hedgerow ash trees.
In his written response to Dáil Eireann questions on Tuesday 23 May 2023, the Minister claims that State aid guidelines prevent him from compensating forest owners for loss of income, while conveniently ignoring other State aid guidelines under “Risk and crisis management”, which specifically provide for “aid to compensate for damage to agricultural production”.
“The Minister has been consistent in not recognising that the forestry industry is in crisis. The appalling treatment of farmers who are affected by ash dieback has been one of the most critical causes of the current lack of interest in planting among farmers. If this country is to meet its climate change commitments, the Minister should be searching for ways to restore confidence in the sector rather than pulling the rug from under farmers who have seen their investment in forestry wiped out through no fault of their own”, says Nicholas Sweetman.
Also, as pointed out by Derek McCabe, Forest Owner and Chairperson of the North East Forestry Group, “replacing trees with saplings is not restoration”. “I’m now back to day one. My trees have been growing for more than 20 years and it’ll be another 20 years before my forest is restored to where it was before the disease struck. Until then, I cannot make an income from that land, but I will still have to invest time and money on vegetation control, pruning the new trees and general upkeep.”
If the Minister wishes to show his commitment to the government’s policy of supporting the forestry sector, he needs to find a method to properly compensate forest owners whose now worthless plantations have been destroyed by ash dieback. EU regulations allow for “aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences” The state needs to step up and recognise that these circumstances are exceptional!
