Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1969. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of timber that has been imported in each month in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1079/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Pest Free Area (PFA) of South West of Scotland is the only zone from which coniferous roundwood with bark is imported into Ireland.

This is because UK Forest Commission have surveyed and continue to survey and found it to be free from Protected Zone (PZ) bark beetles. This roundwood must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate from the UK authorities with a declaration of pests freedom. 

No other area of GB outside the PFA or Europe can deliver this pest freedom status, hence such coniferous roundwood logs with bark are not imported from other locations.  In 2020 125,850 tonnes of roundwood logs were imported into Ireland from this area, and in 2021 this figure was  222,387 tonnes of roundwood logs.  These figures are shown by month in the table below:

There has been a significant decrease in Scottish log imports in the last three months of 2021 due to the increased availability of licensed material in Ireland and the general reduction in demand for sawn wood in the UK.

To 31st December, the Department issued 2,877 tree felling licences for an area of 33,025ha and a volume of 8.452 million cubic metres.  This compares very favourably to 2020, when my Department had issued 1,719 tree felling licences for 18,241ha and 5.023 million cubic metres.  In other words, the number of forestry licences issued in 2021 was 167% of that issued in 2020 and 168% of the volume issued.  However, it must be noted that 2020 was an exceptionally challenging year.  2021 was a record year for felling licences in terms of volume of timber licenced. 

Coillte is fully licensed for 2022.  It had its contract event in November last, where sawmills received half of their Coillte supply of logs for 2022.  As mentioned, the sawmills are also receiving a steady stream of logs from felling licences issued to private landowners, with 1,341 private felling licences issued in 2021.