Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The south east is no stranger to the issues of forestry. It is a very important business sector for the south east. We have companies such as Medite in Clonmel and SmartPly in Waterford which provide MDF and cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternatives to tropical plywoods for use in structural and non-structural applications. Those two companies directly employ more than 320 workers and support more than 500 additional jobs indirectly. They also support downstream processes in Cork and Carlow, particularly sawmills. They operate in a highly sustainable way, purchasing timber from across the 26 counties. They use biomass from their processing waste to provide energy to the plant. Timber from the west of Ireland is ferried by rail network to Waterford, augmenting the Irish Rail freight business and its overall bottom line. They operate a low carbon footprint and a circular system in sustainability. They continue to innovate in their product mix to provide ever more durable and environmentally sustainable product lines and some of their pressed board has displaced traditional tropical plywood, given its superior insulation and strength qualities.

The forestry industry in Waterford and elsewhere in the south east is made up of vibrant indigenous manufacturers. These companies, along with their downstream processes, are committed to supporting a mix of sustainable afforestation in the region. That supports economic need, but it also dovetails with the social, community and amenity values of traditional forest and woodland areas. Like any manufacturing business sector, these business entities depend on a secure pipeline of raw materials of the required standard and grade. They need to be able to access timber of the required quality to continue to produce the high value product on which customers rely.

I welcome the Bill and hope that it will lead to the forestry appeals committee being resourced to be efficient, provide for the streamlining of appeals for felling and planting and for the protection of roads and support the issues relating to replanting, which has become very difficult and uneconomic. I hope it will provide industry supply chain visibility, the lack of which is an impediment to commercial growth and economic development. In essence, I hope it will make the system significantly more efficient and transparent and enable the planting of the right trees in the right areas, as well as building a vibrant timber sector, protecting rural jobs and the economy and providing operational clarity on the appeals committee. Ultimately, it must result in an increased number of felling and planting licences. I hope we will see an economic dividend in the future forest policy and that it will integrate closely with the climate policy espoused by the Government.

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