The “low output” from the forestry sector leading to a “lack of supplies” is having knock-on effects in other industries, the chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has said.
Yesterday’s (Thursday, May 27) committee meeting focused on the continued forestry crisis in this country, with deputy Jackie Cahill saying that the construction industry “is straining due to lack of supplies”.
Addressing officials from the Department of Agriculture who appeared before the committee, he said he had previously hoped the situation was set to improve in recent months “but unfortunately it hasn’t”.
The committee published a report in March with 15 recommendations to address the huge difficulties facing the industry.
The recommendations related to the slow output of licences and other forestry issues, including ash dieback.
‘Walked away in despair’
Minister Pippa Hackett and department officials have previously appeared before the committee, “and unfortunately the assurances given have not yet been delivered on”, deputy Cahill has said.
“Farmers considering planting trees have walked away in despair, with a complete lack of confidence in the industry,” the Fianna Fáil TD said.
“Climate change, and the challenges we face, are a huge issue for the agri-food sector.
“Our failure to meet targets cannot continue. Over the last few years, we have been 15,360ha shy of our planting targets.
“This figure is based on 70% coniferous and 30% broadleaf and it takes into account the loss of carbon during felling and replanting.
“In the lifetime of those plantations, we have failed to meet 5.8 million tonnes of carbon [that] would have been sequestered.
“It is criminal that these targets are missed. It has a compounding effect on the rest of the agri-food industry and rural Ireland.”
Low output of forestry licences
The main focus of yesterday’s meeting was the “low output of licences” by the Department of Agriculture.
“Before you [department officials] came to the Oireachtas committee meeting in January, an average of 87 licences were issued in a four-week period. In the four weeks up to May 18, there was on average 43 licences issued,” the deputy continued.
“I’ve been inundated by calls from stakeholders, whether it has been about mills who have had to import timber, contractors going bankrupt, or farmers being unable to get licences, as have other committee members.
“This sector is hugely important to our economy, and it has to be efficient.”
The deputy said the committee is “demanding” the output of 100 licences a week.
“An output greater than this would be ideal, but 100 is the bottom line,” he told the department.
“Respectfully, we request a report when the licences issued drop below 100 in any given week, that will detail why this has happened and how it will be rectified the following week.
“This is a frank statement, but time is not on our side. This has long been an issue.”