Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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350. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of imports of roundwood from the UK in each of the years 2018 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12260/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Information is available from late 2019 for logs moving from Britain to Ireland.

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 these locations.

Before 1^stJanuary 2021 these logs from the PFA in Scotland were not subject to mandatory notification and import control. This became a requirement as a result of Brexit which is why we have figures for 2021.  In anticipation and for Brexit planning purposes detailed figures were gathered and retained for 2020 and part of 2019.

There has been a significant reduction in log imports over the last few months mainly as a result of increased log supply in Ireland.  Felling licences issued for over 8.4 million cubic metres of timber in 2021 and to date in 2022 felling licences for over 1.7 million cubic metres have issued.  

log imports into Ireland (All from PFA in Scotland)  

log imports into Ireland (All from PFA in Scotland)