Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their presentations. I have had a long connection with Coillte, first in the sawmilling business and subsequently with rural recreation. I have to say that Coillte has, basically, done a good job on both sides. My questions are specific. How many applications has Coillte in with the Department at present, by number and volume? In other words, is Coillte ready and the hold-up is in the Department in the first place? Perhaps our guests could give us some idea of the percentage of timber being milled at present in the country that is coming from outside the island of Ireland? If they can give me the percentage that is coming from within the island, we can subtract that from 100. Can they also confirm that Coillte is held up for over 500,000 m worth of road licences? In other words, not only is Coillte waiting for felling licences but is also waiting for road licences.

Is it of concern to our guests that of the amount of timber that has exited that something like 20% has been appealed in recent times before the end of the cooling-off period? If that rate of attrition were to continue, what effect would it have? There are longer-term issues but the house is on fire and burning down. People in this important industry are going to be let go on the felling and milling sides. The most urgent thing we have to do is to make sure that the mills stay open and the industry survives. Would I be right in thinking that the market for sawn timber, finished product, is very strong and Covid has helped because the DIY business has taken off strongly, particularly in our neighbouring island? At the moment, despite all the worries about Brexit, selling is not the problem for that part of the industry. Their number one concern is getting timber.