Tipperary Man Elected Chair of IFA Farm Forestry Committee
Padraig Stapleton from Upperchurch, North Tipperary has been elected as the new chair of the IFA Farm Forestry Committee.
Upon his election, he thanked his predecessor, Jason Fleming, for the work he has done in his time as chair and said he looks forward to representing farmers with forestry.
“The reality is that many farmers no longer view forestry as a safe investment. The risks associated with committing their land in perpetuity have become too great. New measures and a review of policy are needed to reverse the decline in afforestation; to de-risk the investment; and restore confidence while ensuring a balanced regional spread of forestry.”
He also highlighted serious issues facing the forestry sector and made reference to the improvements made in the Ash Dieback Reconstitution Scheme, emphasising that although significant work has been completed there is still a huge amount to be done.
“Although there have been improvements in the turnaround times for licences, the conditions being attached in some instances are making operations completely unworkable. They are having a significant impact on costs, and therefore the viability of forests, particularly smaller farm forests,” he said.
