The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will again tackle issues relating to the forestry sector when it meets tomorrow (Friday, January 29).
This will be the fourth time that challenges in the forestry sector – specifically the licencing system and ash dieback – will have come before this committee.
The committee meeting is scheduled to begin at 1:00pm, and will take place in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.
“In recent months we heard from key stakeholders – Forest Industries Ireland; Woodlands of Ireland; Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners Ltd; and the IFA [Irish Farmers’ Association] – and also the minister of state [Pippa Hackett] at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,” noted Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill, the committee chairperson.
“Now, we will explore many of the relevant matters raised with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is fair to say that the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on our agriculture, food and marine sectors has been significant for the thousands of people employed in them, and the challenges faced by those in the forestry sector are as important,” the Tipperary TD said today in advance of tomorrow’s meeting.
“Licensing issues and ash dieback are significant issues and challenges which those who work in the industry have faced, in addition to the realities of Covid-19 and Brexit,” Cahill concluded.