The Irish forestry industry has warned that the “alarming shortage of timber available to builders” is set to “further impact” on the housing crisis the country currently faces.
This shortage, according to Forest Industries Ireland (FII) is “because of the ongoing failure of Department of Agriculture officials in issuing licences for planting and felling trees which are mired in cumbersome red tape – resulting in massive backlogs which could take up to two years to clear”.
“Demand for Irish timber is at an all-time high – but current stocks are rapidly dwindling as a result of bureaucratic failures by civil servants and Minister Pippa Hackett which will inevitably lead to rising construction costs,” FII added in a statement on the matter today.
A new alliance has been formed between FII, the Hardware Association Ireland (HAI) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) whose sectors have a combined worth of almost €35 billion to the economy and employ 220,000 workers.
This new grouping has warned that the situation is worsening as the country is relying on the importation of logs and sawn timber “which is becoming unsustainable due to demand costs and competing demand for these products”.
Added to the construction problem, the country will miss its climate change targets as just 2,400ha of forests were planted last year when 8,000ha is the government target.
These are the “lowest figures in decades”, FII claims, adding that the government is “failing to properly support and facilitate forestry”.
Commenting, FII director Mark McAuley said: “Throughout 2021 we have seen increases in the price of timber and a very tight supply situation.
“Builders are coming away from the builder’s merchant without the timber they need to complete a house extension or a new build.
“This is a crazy situation when we have plenty of mature conifer forests in the country and we are having to import timber to keep our building sector supplied.
“This situation would not have arisen were it not for the forestry licence crisis and the failure of the Department of Agriculture to get on top of things. It has been two years now and the supply chain is still badly disrupted. We need to find a new approach,” he said.
“I would call on the Taoiseach to personally resolve the license crisis in the Department of Agriculture that run on for two years now.
“There is no point announcing billions of euro investment in the Summer Economic Statement or new housing policies if these rudimentary bureaucratic issues are not resolved.”