Just 14% of the country’s annual forestry planting target has been completed to date, according to new figures released by the Department of Agriculture.

As of 13 September 2024, 1,159ha of forestry was planted out of the country’s 8,000ha annual target. In the first two weeks of September 2024, 68ha of forestry were planted. In 2023, some 1,653ha were planted, back on the 2,273ha in 2022.

Licences

This year so far, 3,387ha of forestry was licensed. Last year, just 789ha of forestry was licensed, with none approved in March or April 2023. In 2022, some 4,972ha was licensed.

Some 788 applications accounting for 2,974ha have been made under the Reconstitution of Ash Dieback Scheme since it opened.

Of these, 583 have been approved, accounting for 2,107ha.