Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill and congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, on his recent appointment to office. Coming from a part of the country where the sector is of some significance, he will be committed to the industry. I wish him well in during his tenure in office. It is appropriate to remember at this time the Minister of State's predecessor, the late Shane McEntee, who, in his capacity as Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, served with distinction, great energy, passion and commitment.

The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, has been at pains to point out that the purpose of this Bill is primarily to streamline and simplify the various processes associated with forestry. This is to be welcomed. I welcome that the licence system operated under the Forestry Act 1946, as it pertains to felling licences, is to be changed and that following enactment of this legislation, licences will be valid for up to ten years rather than five years.

The Minister of State said with regard to section 24 and the charging for felling licences and other services provided by the legislation that it is a matter of policy whether the Minister should charge for such services and its inclusion in the Bill should not be interpreted as a statement of intent at this point. I would welcome a more concrete and definitive statement in regard to what the State expects to receive for the issuing of licences and the administration of services. I raise this point because, like many Deputies from certain parts of the country, I, too, deal regularly with forestry representations from constituents.

If we want to get the most out of this potentially very valuable sector, change is required. The State severely dented confidence in the sector with the significant reduction three years ago of annual premiums. An afforestation contract between landowner and State is a big step. In essence, it is a commitment to tie up one's land to forestry in perpetuity. This is a big step, one never taken lightly by the landowner. To have the terms of this contract changed subsequent to signing can only make landowners wary of future investment or land use change. In addition, the current initiative by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in relation to repayments in respect of remapping leaves much to be desired. In one particular case with which I have been dealing, the Department is seeking the repayment of moneys dating back to 1998. I do not agree with this and believe that the Statute of Limitations should apply in such cases. I can understand and appreciate the need to recoup moneys, but this should not be achieved by the changing of parameters a number of years down the line. I would welcome if the Minister of State would address this point in his Second Stage response.

Irish forestry has changed significantly over the past 25 years. Thirty years ago, 30% of forestry was in private ownership. There are currently 17,000 private forest owners, with an average forest size of ten hectares, representing 47% of all forestry. This significant growth in our private forest estate is fast becoming a considerable wood and energy resource. Most of the private forest estate has been established over the past two decades, with many areas now entering the first thinning stage. This presents us with a huge opportunity and an even greater challenge. I do not believe we are properly positioned to maximise the benefit. The economics of thinning relatively small forests has not been dealt with properly. Many forest owners in County Clare tell me that they cannot get contractors to do a first thinning on a relatively small plot because the value of the thinning will not cover the cost of doing it. This is simply a matter of scale in machinery. There is not an infinite window to get it right. If we do not or cannot thin properly now, we will not have a premium timber product in 15 or 20 years time.

I would like to see acknowledged in the Bill that what works for large Coillte type forests might not be appropriate for 47% of our national resource. It would be a travesty if small ten hectare forests were not to achieve their potential because of a lack of proper management. The timber industry is now splitting into two definitive sectors, namely, timber product and green energy. While this is welcome, there are inherent dangers in this regard. Finsa Forest Products in Scariff, County Clare, a significant player in the production of various timber board and a significant employer in east Clare, unfortunately no longer manufactures, resulting in the loss of many jobs. Among the many reasons for its closure was that it could not compete against the newly State subvented energy sector in the purchase of pulpwood.

I say this to ensure the Minister is aware of the need to continue to strike a balance between timber and energy production in the forestry sector. The Department must address this difficulty as soon as possible.

In referring to the Finsa company in Scarriff, I find it peculiar, when driving through east County Clare, that I persistently encounter timber lorries leaving the county. This area is one of the most afforested regions in the State, yet all the raw materials are moved out of it. It would be appropriate for the Minister of State with responsibility for forestry to liaise and work with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to seek to maximise employment in the timber industry in County Clare. Afforested areas are often those areas where land is not of the best quality and one often finds a correlation between forestry and areas of economic disadvantage. There is a need and an opportunity in County Clare, specifically east Clare, to develop a sustainable, job creating timber and wood energy industry. I invite the Minister of State to visit County Clare to meet public representatives and other interested parties to explore this potential.

I welcome and support this legislation and wish the Minister of State well as he steers his first Bill through the House.

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