Pippa Hackett was accused of “failing miserably to make an impact” in two key areas under her control — organics and forestry — by Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy in the Dáil.
Deputy Carthy hit out at the Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture’s performance, claiming the Government lacked a clear strategy on organics.
"Some 74 people left the (organic) scheme last year,” he said. “That means that if all 317 (new) applications are accepted, the increase in organic farmer numbers will be 243, which is less than half of what the Minister of State set out as the target of up to 500 additional schemes.
“This is the difficulty and let us be honest about it.
“Of course, it is easy to get a 20pc increase when one is starting from almost the lowest rate in Europe. Farmers across the country have said they are interested in organics.”
Responding, Minister Hackett said driving the development of the Irish organic sector is a major priority for her and her Department.
"We have set the highest level of ambition ever for the sector in the programme for Government with an aim to reach the EU average of land farmed organically during the lifetime of this Government.
“I assure the Deputy that my ambitions for organics and forestry are genuine. I will be working hard to ensure they deliver, along with the horticulture sector and any other aspect under my remit, for the environment.
"That is why I am a politician and want to do this. That is why my party was happy to enter government.”
On forestry, while Deputy Carthy conceded that Minister Hackett took over a “very bad position” he claimed the position had got “a whole lot worse” since the Government has been in place.
"The number of licences issued for felling in March and April this year was down by 25pc compared with the same period last year,” he said. “Whether it is afforestation licences, road-opening licences or felling licences, we are way behind target.
"Not only are we dealing with a crisis in the here and now with our timber industry, but we are facing a generational crisis with regard to afforestation.
"The Minister of State has set a target of 8,000 ha for planting. Last year, we were wildly off those targets. She has set a target of 8,000 ha this year. At present, less than 2,500 ha have been licensed."
Minister Hackett disagreed that the situation has got worse since the Government was formed, but accepted that it is not a lot better.
"The afforestation levels that the Deputy quotes are correct,” she said. “Past levels have been low. We have not attained the target of 8,000ha under the climate action plan. I expect, unfortunately, that the levels of afforestation this year will be similar to last year.
"We need to inject confidence into the sector. Our farmers will be key to this. We do not have many more hectares of State land to afforest, so if we are to meet our targets, we will rely almost wholly on private landowners and farmers."
