Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a certain diversity of perspective on the Forestry Bill and afforestation. One thing that is agreed is that Ireland should try to up its percentage of land cover under forestry. By way of context, for anyone in Wicklow who wishes to plant, the matter is asset sensitive. A grower must have four water tests carried out, from February to May, inclusive, on the area he proposes to grow. A 15% biodiversity area is mandatory in all new plantations. This area must be set aside for biodiversity. One of the barriers to native woodland species approvals in Wicklow has been deer. Only one has been granted in the past three years and that is almost in County Dublin. None the less, it is a consistent problem.

Reference was made to vegetation. For the purposes of the new rural development programme, Wicklow Uplands Council, Burren Life and others are putting in upland environment management plans which include burning. There is no point in saying otherwise. However, it is in a managed way and it is traditional. It is done for a variety of reasons, including to improve the vegetation and to allow deer to migrate up to where their more native territory would have been. It is also done to prevent spreading fires, which are a danger to everyone and woodland.

Reference was made to open access. Consideration must be given to young plantations in particular and to not allowing any access until they are well established. I live in the middle of a Coillte forest estate. One of the greatest problems is that there are water tankers on stand-by at all times in Trooperstown, where the public play, in case of fire.

The concern on the other side relates to not having some form of default position with an obligation to replant. The concern I have is that this leaves it wide open to speculators to purchase the land, clean the timber and walk away. Perhaps at the time the felling licence was granted a decision was made but there may be reasons a grower would not plant now where he planted 25 years ago, especially if he is aware of issues relating to the yield class, the environment or whatever. We should be cognisant of the fact that if we simply state that there is no replanting obligation, we are leaving ourselves open to be pillaged. That is a personal opinion. I am concerned there may be no safety measures in place for that. I say that as someone who is a private forest owner and grower, albeit a small one. None the less, it is something we should bear in mind.

It is interesting that the Irish Forestry and Forest Products Association welcomes management plans. The association maintains they should not be mandatory. There is a size above which they should be mandatory, but certainly for smaller plantations they should be incorporated into the conditions of an afforestation grant, which should be sufficient, and the felling licence should take care of the rest.

Reference was made to the 28-day timeframe. That is ridiculous when we consider there is a three month period for planning applications to be processed. Purely from the point of view of efficiency, a five-year felling licence with the amount of licences that will come down the path in the coming years is unworkable given the level of manpower available at the moment. There are pragmatic things which, I hope, we will be able to deal with on Committee Stage.

The Society of Irish Foresters requested today to come before the committee. We have invited the society in on 11 February. Committee Stage of the Bill will take place on 25 February. It will involve the select committee meeting in public session. I hope we will get to tease out all of the issues. Everyone who asked to come before the committee has been afforded the opportunity. That should contribute to a better constructed forestry Bill. As there is no other business, that concludes the meeting for today. I thank all witnesses who attended.