Calls are mounting for Government support and emergency action to be taken to help private forest owners amid widespread destruction of plantations. The Irish Forest Owners (IFO) has called on incoming minister with responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae, and his department to prioritise support for private forest owners.

“All obstacles must be eliminated and we are calling for an amnesty on the requirement for a clearfell licence to remove windblown timber,” said Derek McCabe, chair of IFO.

“For a forest owner, seeing your years of investment being wiped out overnight is distressing enough, without the added burden of paying a forester to submit a licence application and then waiting months for a decision.”

While foresters are only now beginning to assess the damage, early indications are that the windblow could exceed the 8,000ha knocked by storm Darwin and hurricane Charley (1986).

Enda Keane of forest monitoring company Treemetrics told the Irish Farmers Journal that early satellite images showed that “the level of damage in many areas of private forest is catastrophic”.

“Some areas are completely flattened and other areas have been weakened, so they are likely to have further losses. Safety is a major issue, so it’s important that people stay out of forests until it is safe.”

“The satellite images I’ve been looking at are limited, but I would estimate the damage in those areas alone to be 2,000ha to 3,000ha,” he said, referring to counties Longford, Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway and Cavan in particular. Keane said significant damage is visible in forestry plantations in Tuam, Castlerea, Frenchpark, Carrick-on-Shannon, Ballinamore, Cavan, Edenderry, Ballymahon, Mountbellew and in Ballinasloe.

He added that a co-ordinated Government response was needed and emergency funding support and technical support would be needed for the timely salvage of fallen timber.