New figures show Louth least afforested county between 2018 and 2022

Just 28 hectares were afforested in Louth between 2018 and 2022, the smallest amount of area afforested for any county, according to figures released today by the Central Statistics Office.

15 hectares were afforested in Louth in 2022. Just four other counties, Carlow (four hectares), Dublin (three hectares), Monaghan (seven hectares), and Waterford (three hectares), afforested less area than Louth last year.

Of the 28 hectares afforested in Louth between 2018 and 2022, zero hectares were afforested in Louth in 2021, two in 2020, one in 2019 and ten hectares in 2018. 

The counties with the next lowest amount of area afforested between 2018 and 2022 were Dublin with 55 hectares in five years, and Carlow with 67 hectares.

Nationally, the area afforested in 2022 was 2,273 hectares, a 13% increase from 2,016 hectares afforested in 2021. Afforested area declined from 6,947 hectares in 2007 to 2,273 hectares afforested in 2022.

Broadleaf species comprised 42% of the 2022 afforestation area, while Sitka spruce accounted for 49% of the 2022 afforestation area. Area planted by farmers accounted for 23% of the total afforested area in 2022.

Commenting on the release, Niamh Shanahan, Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division of the CSO, said: "The report shows the area afforested in 2022 was 2,273 hectares (ha) which was 33% of the area planted in 2007. The area afforested in 2022 was a 13% increase on the area afforested in 2021.

"The proportion of broadleaf species planted in 2022 was 42% which is the highest share in the 2007-2022 series. The share of afforested area planted by farmers in 2022 was 23% which was an increase on their 2021 share of 18%, but a sharp decline from their 2014 share of 97%.

Alder and Ash were the main broadleaf species planted during 2007 to 2013 while Alder and Birch were the main species from 2015 to 2022. Sitka Spruce was the dominant conifer species and comprised 85% of coniferous species in 2022.

County Cork had the largest afforested area every year from 2007 to 2016, and from 2019 to 2022. Cork accounted for 18% of the total afforested area in 2022 followed by Clare (9.3%), Galway (9.2%), and Roscommon (7.7%).

The highest average parcel size of afforested area over the 2007-2022 period was 8.4 ha in 2009. In 2022 it was 7.4 ha, the highest since 2010."