Lack of interest in planting putting forestry targets in jeopardy

The Government has just announced funding of more than €1.3bn for the new forestry programme to 2027, the largest ever investment by any Irish Government in tree planting

The Government has just announced funding of more than €1.3bn for the new forestry programme to 2027, the largest ever investment by any Irish Government in tree planting.

Forestry Minister Pippa Hackett has acknowledged that low interest in planting trees is now "getting to a crisis stage regarding the targets we need to hit".

"We are relying almost wholly on private landowners to plant the trees of the future," she said.