The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine will meet today where the challenges facing the forestry sector will be discussed in two separate sessions.

Two organisations, Forest Industries Ireland and Woodlands of Ireland, will appear from 4:00pm in Committee Room 4.

For those interested in tuning in, the meeting can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

This is the joint committee’s second meeting on the topic of challenges facing the forestry sector including licensing issues and ash dieback.

Forest Industries Ireland (FII) brings together companies from across the forestry and timber supply chain, from forest owners and forestry companies, to timber processors, wood product manufacturers, and renewable energy producers.

Woodlands of Ireland is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to native woodlands. Its objectives are to generate awareness of native woodlands amongst policy makers and the general public, and to develop projects and sustainable management strategies aimed at ensuring the future viability of native woodlands.

Ahead of the fourth public committee meeting of this Dáil term, committee chair Jackie Cahill, TD said:

FII is an umbrella Ibec organisation comprised of companies who provide over 12,000 jobs and many products from the sector, while Woodlands of Ireland is similarly focused on the development of the forestry sector in a sustainable way.

“Their input is more important than ever in light of the economic challenges which the country faces. We very much look forward to their contribution.”