Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The timber industry is a significant indigenous economic sector, with 11% of lands currently under forestry. The aim is to increase that percentage to 18%. That growth is significant and needs a proper legislative framework in place to support it.

The forest industry transport group was formed in 1999 and reflects the significance of transport in the sector. There are 97,600 movements annually, or approximately 390 haulage movements per day. The forest industry transport group was formed to facilitate communication on matters relating to timber transport. Very detailed guidelines were drawn up to advise on all matters relating to forestry transport. The guide aimed to develop a partnership approach for the management of round timber transport to ensure the activities are carried out in an environmentally sustainable and economically viable manner. It also assists local authority roads managers, timber haulage managers, forest owners and agents on how to resolve timber transport issues.

Forests are mainly located on roads that have not been strengthened. It is frequently a challenge left to the haulier or transport operator to survey the roads and adapt equipment to suit the terrain. This can mean significant cost for the hauliers, usually involving expensive equipment adaptions to ensure maximum weights are carried with minimum impact on the roads. Round timber is a relatively low-value, high-volume product. The transport costs can form a significant portion of the delivery costs of round timber, often accounting for as much as 40%. Vehicle specifications for forestry are often the most expensive to purchase due to the demands incurred as a result of the on-road and off-road terrain. Specification demands include onboard weighing units, vehicle tracking units, centre tyre inflation and maxi-wide tyres, etc. These add significantly to all the other requirements. Many of the vehicles need special permits to operate on public roads. All of this expense comes on top of what are regarded as normal costs, such as a haulage licence, insurance, vehicle testing and driver training to name just a few. All the aforementioned expense equates to the huge operating costs of round timber haulage.

The operators are an integral part of the sector and they are also part of the outrageous situation that has been allowed to develop due to the delay in issuing felling licences. At no juncture has any thought been given to the financial strife caused to timber hauliers as a consequence of the collapse of the forestry industry. Why would it be considered necessary to go to such lengths to set up a forest industry transport group to deal with a situation in which they are all but forgotten? I would like the Minister of State and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider that when they are looking at the number of appeals building and building, with the prospect that felling will diminish to the point that there will be no work for these hauliers. They should consider that a combined outfit on a felling operation includes a harvester costing circa €500,000, a forwarder which will stack the timber and costs circa €400,000 and a truck and trailer at a minimum reserve circa €250,000. That is more than €1.1 million of equipment that must be purchased before a tree is felled and which will be left sitting idle. I ask the Minister of State to please consider the hauliers who are financially strained to the pin of their collar. Anyone with that much skin in the game understands the necessity of the "relevant person" aspect of this legislation. Anyone listening to these proceedings will understand that too. Given the impact on all those involved in the sector, I ask the Minister of State please to accept and support the amendment that has been tabled to the section of the Bill dealing with relevant persons.

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