CSO figures show Louth as least afforested county in Ireland last year

Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures released today show that Louth, along with Dublin was the least afforested county in Ireland last year, with a significant drop over the past five years and no afforestation taking place in the county at all in 2021.

The figures released by the CSO today show that Louth went from 22 hectares being afforested in 2017, comprising 20 hectares broadleaf and 2 hectares conifer. This went down to just one hectare of broadleaf in 2019, two hectares of broadleaf afforestation in 2020 and no afforestation at all taking place last year.

Dublin was the only other county which saw no afforestation taking place last year. The county with the lowest figure above that was Carlow, with five hectares afforested. At the other end of the spectrum, Cork afforested 343 hectares last year, followed by Roscommon with 190 hectares.

Nationally, there has been substantial declines in annual afforestation areas with a decline from 6,947 hectares in 2007 to 2,016 hectares in 2021. Commenting on the release, Niamh Shanahan, Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division of the CSO, said: "This is the first time the CSO has published figures on afforestation. The report shows the area afforested in 2021 was 2,016 hectares which was 29% of the area planted in 2007.

"The proportion of broadleaf species planted in 2021 was 41% which is the highest share in the 2007-2021 series. The share of afforested area planted by farmers in 2021 was 18% which was 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 2021. Sitka Spruce is the dominant conifer species and comprised 86% of coniferous species in 2021.