7 key actions urged with 4,500 forest licences now awaiting approval
There are now more than 4,500 licences in the forestry sector awaiting approval from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – and a number of changes are needed if this issue is to be solved, according to two stakeholder organisations.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Forest Industries Ireland (FII) are calling on minister of state at the department, Pippa Hackett, to act now to address the forest licensing situation, if there is to be any hope of revitalising farmer interest in forestry.
The plan to address the backlog published by the department in June has failed to meet its targets. In January, less than 50% of the target output was achieved, the two groups highlighted.
Commenting, IFA Farm Forestry Committee chairman Vincent Nally said that farmers are incensed with the delays getting felling licences to manage their timber crops.
“The delays are disproportionately impacting farmers as the majority are at thinning stage and the delays are devaluing the commercial value of their forest.
“We need the minister to act and reform the system so farmers can have confidence once again in forestry as a land use,” he said.
Mark McAuley, director of FII, added:
“We have witnessed a rapid decline in the Irish forestry model and there are some serious challenges that will have to be addressed if we are to get back on track.
The poor administration of forestry by the department has been a major contributing factor and this will have to be dramatically improved if we are going to make progress.
“Forestry will deliver enormous rewards to rural Ireland if we can get things moving in the right direction – our people, our environment and our economy will all benefit.”
