IFA Highlight Concerns of Forest Landowners with Proposed New Legislation to Increase ESB Powers

IFA Farm Forestry Chair Padraig Stapleton said there are very significant concerns among forest landowners around proposed new legislation in respect of forestry corridors for ESB overhead lines and their potential negative impact on the forestry sector in Ireland.

He said Minister Darragh O’Brien recently brought a revised Heads of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Bill 2026 to Government, which propose to strengthen ESB powers to increase forestry corridors and forestry management under and in close proximity to some 4,000km of ESB lines across the country in forestry plantations.

Padraig Stapleton said forest owners fully understand the need for properly maintained forestry corridors along electricity lines in order to protect supply and the reliance of the network. However, he said landowner rights and the forestry sector must be to the fore, fully engaged and protected in the new proposed legislation.

The IFA Farm Forestry Chair said landowners and foresters are extremely concerned and annoyed with the way ESB Networks are currently clear felling some new wider corridors under electric lines. He said in some locations, the ESB are misleading landowners and forcing the imposition of wider corridors while offering landowners less than proper and adequate compensation. He said this is not acceptable and has to stop.

Padraig Stapleton said any forest landowner that is currently approached by ESB seeking a widening of corridors or removal of trees should be very careful. They need to clearly establish the exact legislation ESB are relying on, whether or not the works are compulsory or voluntary and insist on getting professional independent forestry advice and full proper compensation.

He said ESB Networks has confirmed that there is currently no mandatory obligation on any forestry landowner to sign an easement with ESB Networks on forestry corridors.

The IFA Farm Forestry Chair said forest landowners are entitled to a proper statutory compensation framework, which covers all aspects of their losses including the creation or extension of a forestry corridor and associated easement, loss of tree planting rights, loss of timber production, loss of premiums, severance and injurious affection, disturbance and all other associated losses.

Padraig Stepleton said the IFA recently met with senior officials in the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) on the proposed new legislation.

“The IFA clearly highlighted all the concerns of forest landowners to both Departments on issues such as widening corridors, maintenance, removing the Forestry Green Edge, windblow and disease outbreaks. The IFA insisted that the interests of forest landowners must be properly protected and fully compensated in any new legislation,” Padraig Stapleton concluded.