Healy-Rae comments on forestry and peat draw IPCC ire
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) has said it "strongly opposes" comments made by Minister of State for Forestry Michael Healy-Rae in the Seanad last week around afforestation on deep peat soils.
In a Seanad debate last week, Minister Healy-Rae spoke in favour of planting trees on deep peat, after senators present expressed opposing views.
Some senators drew attention to the benefit of planting trees, especially for the construction sector where it can be used as a more sustainable alternative to concrete; while other senators rejected the idea of planting on peat as this releases carbon from the soil.
In his remarks, the minister took the former stance, saying that, if the policy favoured by senators against planting on peat "was taken to its logical conclusion, in Ireland today, whatever amount of forestry we have, we would have about 80% less".
"If the rules that are applied even today were applied before, we would not have any forestry or timber. That would affect the sawmills that give valuable employment and the construction industry were we want the timber.
"Whether we like it or not, to get timber you have to stick a tree in the ground and it has to grow... If we are talking about protecting the environment, is it not a lot better to have our own produce here in Ireland? That is why I and my officials in the [Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine] will look at planting more peatland," Minister Healy-Rae said.
He added: "We want to use green ground for grazing but plant trees on rough ground and peaty ground. I am afraid that this is just one of these things on which we cannot always agree."
Responding to the Minister Healy-Rae's comments, the IPCC claimed that such actions would "have severe environmental consequences and undermine Ireland's commitments to biodiversity and climate action".
"Scientific research has repeatedly shown that afforestation on peatlands disrupts their natural hydrology, accelerates carbon release, and damages habitats essential for rare and endangered species," the IPCC said.
The group claimed that Ireland's peatlands "are already under the spotlight", citing a decision from the European Commission in 2024 to refer Ireland to the Courts of Justice of the European Union over the habitats directive.
Tristam Whyte, the IPCC's policy officer, said: "Planting trees on peatlands dries them out, leading to increased carbon emissions to air and our rivers, rather than sequestration.
The IPCC is calling on policymakers to "prioritise peatland restoration rather than afforestation".
The group stated that "restoring degraded peatlands by rewetting them" allows them to continue as carbon sinks, helping Ireland meet climate targets and preserving ecosystems for biodiversity.
"We call on the government to reject any proposals for tree planting on peatlands and instead invest in conservation and restoration efforts. Ireland has a responsibility to protect these landscapes, not to degrade them further," Whyte said.
