Forestry Council Report July 2025

Policy proposals for approval by National Council 

IFA Farm Forestry committee proposes for Vice President Alice Doyle to raise Forestry education and training on the Teagasc board. The committee proposes for forestry to be included in all Green Certificate courses as a mandatory module.

Market Review 

The Forestry Weekly Dashboard showed that as of the end of June 2025, 1,421 hectares of new forest have been planted and 41 km of forest roads constructed. Afforestation licences issued to establish 7,698 hectares under the Afforestation scheme and 550 under the Native Tree Area scheme. 429 private felling licences issued compared with 172 Coillte felling licences.

Activity since last National Council

Department Forest Windblow taskforce. The Department of Agriculture set up a forest windblow taskforce to ensure that the nearly 24,000ha of storm-damaged forests are managed safely and appropriately. IFA and other key forest stakeholders have joined Department Officials on the taskforce, now entering its 8^th meeting. 

• The Wind damage spatial data layer is available to download from: https://opendata.agriculture.gov.ie/en_GB/dataset/private-forest-wind-damage-assessment-spatial-database-may-2025
• Wind damage layer live on iNET and iFORIS map viewers.
• Summary statistics: 50% public and 50% private windblow damage sites. 
• Over 80% of the area impacted was spruce.
• Three quarters of the windblown area was less than 35 years old. 
• 51% of the area had been thinned at least once.
• Nearly two-thirds of the impacted forests were located on wet mineral soils and a further 20% on deep peats.
• The average height of the spruce trees windblown c.18 m.
• 23% of the blown area in polygons are less than 1 ha in size. 
• 34% of the blown area in polygons are greater than 5 ha in size. 
• 80% of forestry harvesting machinery is now working in Windblown sites. 

Availability of Forestry Decision Support Tools 

Tree Volume and Carbon Calculator 

The calculator allows forest owners and managers to estimate tree volume and carbon using basic tree information for the main conifer and broadleaf tree species. With the supporting user manual, the      calculator offers a simplistic interface for forest owners and managers to input information from their own forests. The outputs include tree volume, carbon and product assortments for an individual tree, a batch of trees or a forest stand. 

Felling Decision Tool 

The Felling Decision Tool was developed to provide forest owners and managers with information on the estimated timber revenues for future management interventions. Forest characteristics such as; timber volume per hectare, forest yield class (using top height), and mean tree volume (cubic metres) at different stages in the forest cycle can also be generated from the tool. This tool may be used to assist in deciding when to clearfell, by providing financial information on the implication of felling earlier or later than when the financial returns are normally at their highest. 

For further information on these two decision support tools, including video tutorials on the use of the tools, please visit: Tree Felling and Management – Gov.ie

Mid-Term Review of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. IFA made a submission outlining proposed changes that are required to make the Forestry Programme more attractive and a diverse farming option for Irish landowners. 

Reconstitution of Ash Dieback Scheme (RADS) 2023-2027

Treated area will now have a 5-metre rule applied. This means that the setback distance for calculation of excluded areas for payment will be the distance from the relevant watercourse/aquatic zone midpoint to the centre point of the nearest tree to be removed (or to be replanted) minus 5 metres.

For other broadleaves intimately planted with ash, a threshold of 80% can be applied. This means that no pro-rata reduction will be made where the other broadleaves do not exceed 20%.

The first tranche of the Forest Machinery Grant has closed, and applications are currently being assessed. Consideration is being given to opening a second tranche once decision letters have been issued and a review of the Scheme criteria will be undertaken.

The second instalment of the Climate Action Performance Payment (CAPP) is now available on agfood. The payment facility will appear on agfood for forest owners who are eligible to apply for payment. To be eligible a forest owner must have:

• Received Instalment 1 last year.
• Have received all afforestation premiums.
• Received the second grant on the relevant ash reconstitution scheme. The second grant can be paid 4 years after the first grant.

The second tranche of the Open Call for Proposals for Forestry Skills Training is now open. This call will provide supports towards expanding the knowledge and capacity of various groups in the forestry sector. Targeted groups include forestry students in higher level education, registered foresters and forestry contractors. Delivery of the proposed projects should fall within the period from September 2025 to August 2026. It is expected that a new Call for Proposals will issue in 2026 to cover the period from September 2026 onwards. Full details on the scheme, including how to apply, can be found in the Specification Document which is available to view on the Department Website at Call for Proposals Forestry Skills Training 2025-2026. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 11th July 2025.

Bark Beetle

Over recent months, DAFM said it continued to engage closely with its Scottish and Northern Ireland counterparts. 

• In June 2025 DAFM announced during the Plant Health Stakeholder Group that there are breeding pairs of Monterey Pine Engraver (Pseudips mexicanus) in Co. Clare.
• IFA hosted a Forest Windblow Meeting in Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny on the 13th March.
• IFA attended the fourth DAFM Windblow Taskforce meeting on the 18th March. 
• IFA attended an online meeting with Deel Forestry Ltd on the 20^th March.
• IFA attended DAFM Plant Health and Biosecurity Stakeholder meeting in Backweston on the 24^th March. 
• IFA attended Forest Strategy Consultative Committee meeting in Agricultural House on the 25^th March.
• IFA attended the fifth DAFM Windblow Taskforce meeting on the 8^th April.
• IFA attended Teagasc Talking Timber event on the 15th April.
• IFA attended Forestry Industry Transport Group meeting in Portlaoise on the 23^rd April. 
• IFA Farm Forestry committee meeting took place in the Irish Farm Centre on the 24th April.
• IFA attended DAFM Windblow Taskforce Workshop meeting on the 7^th May. 
• IFA Farm Forestry committee online meeting to discuss the pre-Budget 2026 Submission to Government took place on the 8^thMay.
• IFA attended the sixth DAFM Windblow Taskforce meeting on the 21^st May.
• IFA Farm Forestry management committee meeting took place in the Irish Farm Centre on the 26^th May.
• IFA met online with the Irish Forestry Owners on the 27^th May. 
• IFA attended Forest Strategy Consultative Committee meeting in Agricultural House on the 9^th June. 
• IFA attended the seventh DAFM Windblow Taskforce meeting on the 18^th June.
• IFA met with Minister Michael Healy-Rae to discuss current forestry affairs on the 18^th June. 
• IFA attended Forestry Industry Transport Group meeting in Portlaoise on the 20^th June.
• IFA attended FSCC meeting in Agricultural House on the 24^th June.
• IFA hosted Forest Stakeholder meeting to discuss volume/tonnage private industry timber sales in the Irish Farm Centre on the 25^th June.

Any EU/COPA developments

• IFA attended online COPA working party meeting on Forest and Forestry on the 3^rd April.
• IFA attended online Commission Expert Group on Forest and Forestry Stakeholder Platform meeting on the 9^th April. 
• IFA attended online COPA Cogeca position on the public consultation on the future Bioeconomy Strategy on the 6^th May. 
• IFA attended online COPA Cogeca taskforce meeting on Bioeconomy on the 21^st May. 
• IFA attended online COPA Cogeca working party meeting on Bioenergy on the 10^th June. 
• IFA attended DAFM Forest Health stakeholder group meeting in Agriculture House on the 17^th June. 

Upcoming issues

• IFA to host the second Forest Stakeholder meeting to discuss volume/tonnage private industry timber sales in the Irish Farm Centre on the 20^th August. 
• IFA has been invited to meet with ESB. Date not finalised. 
• IFA will continue to lobby on the Local and European forestry proposals outlined in the IFA Election Manifesto.