Forestry Bill 2013

Go raibh maith agut a Ceann Comhairle/Chathaoirleach.

 

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Forestry Bill 2013 which seeks to update existing forestry law. Forestry is vital to the livelihoods of many farmers across Ireland, particularly in the midlands.

Priorities in the forestry sector on Economic, agricultural and environmental grounds have significantly changed since the 1946 forestry Act. Forestry premiums and grants provide farmers with an annual income stream from their woodlands and the industry provides significant employment like Glennons brothers in Longford, which this year celebrates its 100 years in the processing business.

The forestry Act that was introduced in 1945 was enacted at a time when the national forest estate was much smaller, forestry activity was mainly undertaken by the state and was during a time where we had strict control under tree felling because of sever timber shortages.

The increasing volume of timber being harvested has become cumbersome in the context of the felling licence system and has needed to be updated for a very long time. The requirement that all limited felling notifications must be lodged through the local Garda Station, which was an outdated process, is no longer required.

Direct output in Ireland’s wood products sectors (panel board mills, saw mills and other wood products sector) was €1.3 billion in 2010 and the total value (direct and indirect) to the economy of the three wood processing sectors was €2.2 billion. The average employment figure for the forest sector as a whole is estimated as close to 12,000 persons, the majority of whom are employed in rural areas like Longford Westmeath, where jobs are provided across the sector in activities such as growing, harvesting and processing.

There has been a significant increase in demand for forest based biomass and lower value firewood. Glennon Brothers Sawmills in Longford would be one of the largest sawmills in Ireland employing over 300 people. Glennon Brothers and companies like them would export volumes of mostly high category timber mainly to markets in the UK, France, Belgium and Holland. Overall timber demand (biomass for renewables and conventional demand for timber processing sector) is expected to increase over the next decade.

To avoid medium term shortfalls in wood fibre and to meet the demands of our export driven timber processing sector, mobilisation of the private forest timber resource is necessary.

We must simplify the current licence granting system. Currently, there are two types of felling license €“ a general felling licence (which allows a person to cut down trees as part of normal forest management practices, for example, forest thinning and clearfelling) and secondly a limited felling license (which allows a person to cut down trees other than for normal forest management reasons, e.g. trees located in hedgerows). This is further complicated by the need to notify the Gardaí in all applications for a limited felling licence.

This process has become cumbersome because of the increasing volume of timber being harvested, in particular from the private sector. In theory, it should only take two months for a felling or thinning licence to be granted. However, the process can actually take up to 12 months at the moment, causing a lot of grief for forestry owners trying to organise contractors, sales deliveries and timely thinning.

I understand that the bill aims to streamline this process by removing the need to give all applications for a limited felling licence to the nearest Garda station, instead all applications will be made to the Minister and provide for a single felling licence instead of the tedious dual system of general felling licences and limited felling licences.

Where a person wants to fell or remove a tree that is not exempted then he or she must apply to the Minister for a licence. The application must contain the particulars of the tree or trees concerned. A licence is valid for a period which does not exceed 5 years.

 

I would like to argue that for standard plantation forestry, a felling licence should be for a considerably longer period than for what the Bill is outlining which is a maximum of five years and should include all thinnings up to the final felling of a forest. This would again clear up unnecessary cumbersome work that would otherwise slow down the process.

 

I am concerned that this Bill has no firm goal set and little or no developmental or promotional aspect in regards to forestry. According to expert opinion the annual planting rates for trees needs to be increased by well over 300% if our target of 18% coverage by 2030 is to be reached. Nowhere is it mentioned in the bill of a target of planting approximately 16,000 hectares per annum.

 

I would also express concern at the long list of offences and penalties contained in Part 7 of the bill and the almost draconian approach to dealing with them. This represents a missed opportunity to rid our regulatory framework of unnecessary red tape. More than 19,500 landowners, mostly farmers, have planted in excess of 250,000 hectares since 1980, much of which is now ready for thinning. This is a rapidly maturing private forestry sector and we need to allow it grow.

There are the numerous benefits of forestry for farmers, forest owners and for the wider economy. On top of the premium payments, forest owners can avail of returns from thinnings due to the increasing popularity of wood energy and the clear-fell of their forestry plantation.

Forestry is of long term economic benefit for the economy in that it generates jobs and contributes to our national exports. It also provides benefits to the environment and recreation and amenity value to society in general. Overall I welcome this Bill and hope that the minister might take into account some of my concerns.