Forest owners are being advised to continue with any works planned in the wake of storm Éowyn safe in the knowledge that it will not affect their eligibility for any future assistance which may be introduced.

Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae, this week moved to reassure forest owners that “those with the necessary licences can proceed with clearance and replanting without fear of being disadvantaged in future assistance schemes”.

The minister said: “I know many forest owners want to move quickly to recover their losses. While discussions on additional support are ongoing, I can confirm that any work undertaken now will not affect eligibility for potential future assistance.”

The reassurance came following the third meeting of the Windblow Taskforce. Those who attended the meeting were told confirmed estimates show that nearly 24,000ha of forest have suffered windblow damage. This is more than twice the annual volume of forest harvested and is said to have prompted urgent discussions on increasing harvesting capacity and mobilising resources, including potential overseas support.

Scale of the challenge

Acknowledging the scale of the challenge, Minister Healy-Rae said: “We now have an approximation of the damage done, and the focus must be on ensuring the sector has the capacity to manage this crisis.

“Our discussions centred on expanding the workforce needed to plan, harvest, transport, and market this timber.

“I commend all involved in the taskforce for their proactive and constructive engagement, and we will continue working systematically to address the challenges faced by affected landowners.”

Two enhanced decision-support tools were launched at the meeting – a tree volume and carbon calculator, and a felling decision tool. This, the Department says, will assist forest owners in making informed management decisions.

“These tools provide key financial insights, helping assess timber revenues over a forest cycle and weigh the risks of early felling versus potential further windblow damage. A demonstration [at the Taskforce meeting] highlighted the major difference in value between a 22-year-old and a 32-year-old crop. The felling decision tool will be particularly useful for those with partially damaged forests, helping them determine the financial impact of clearing a site versus allowing trees to mature further.”

Ireland’s tree volume carbon calculator, felling decision tool and other tools are available on the Department’s website.

Affected forest owners were also encouraged to engage with industry bodies such as The Irish Forest Owners, Teagasc, and Social Economic Environmental Forestry Association, “which are actively providing guidance through events and one-on-one clinics” in the coming weeks.