The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has issued 243 afforestation licences relating to 2,008ha so far this year.
This figure is in line with the first six months of 2022 when licences for 2020ha were issued.
It also marks a significant improvement on the same period last year when licences for just 136ha were granted.
The Forestry Licencing Plan 2024 estimates that 1,000 afforestation applications would be the required to meet planting targets.
The latest Forestry Dashboard, published by the department, shows that 359 valid afforestation applications had been submitted up to last Friday (June 21).
Afforestation
The department data shows that 656ha of land had been afforested up to June 21.
The DAFM notes that this only reflects afforestation that as been paid at first grant stage this year to date, including the Native Tree Area Scheme (NTAS).
Reacting to the figures, the Social, Economic, Environmental Forestry Association (SEEFA) said that it has taken almost six months to achieve what should be “the average monthly pace”.
“This disappointingly low figure is a clear result of DAFM’s mismanagement of the sector, marked by years of insufficient licensing and ineffective marketing and promotional efforts.
“Landowners and farmers communicate with SEEFA members and are ready and willing to plant.
“However, lacklustre incentives, untenable barriers to plant, and uncertainty over licencing are causing unnecessary blockages,” the organisation said.
In 2022, 2,273ha of forestry was planted, this figure dropped to 1,652ha last year.
Forest cover in Ireland represents 11.6% of the total land area in comparison to the EU average of 38%.
The government has set an annual target of 8,000ha of new forests to be planted in order to increase the national forestry area to 18%.
DAFM
The latest department figures show that 895 felling licences relating to almost 10,800ha had been issued by June 21, which includes 544 private licences and 351 for Coillte.
In the week up to last Friday, the department issued 11 thinning licences for 199ha and 56 clear fell licences covering 523ha.
453 licences have also been granted so far this year by the department for 166km of forestry roads.
The data shows that 250 NTAS applications have been issued for 273ha, while 155 applications (599ha) under the Deer Tree Shelter Scheme (DTS) have been approved.
444 applications submitted for the Reconstitution of Ash Dieback Scheme have been granted, covering 1,658ha
DAFM has received 29 afforestation appeals, tree felling appeals and four forest roads appeals to date this year.