Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We certainly do not want to import timber from elsewhere when we could be providing it for ourselves. As I understand it, the Department needs two things: new legislation and additional staff to deal with appeals and applications. The legislation is being developed and we expect to have it within this session. This work is being led by the Minister of State, Senator Hackett. With regard to the additional staff resources the Department needs, as I mentioned earlier, 14 new ecologists have joined it as either permanent or contract staff. It also has employed four extra forestry inspectors on a temporary basis in addition to nine permanent forestry inspectors and a new project manager. Based on what I have been told, I hope we will see improvements and change in the coming weeks.

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