Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
1277. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of timber imported to Ireland in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17054/21]
View answer1278. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has carried out an analysis on the additional timber imported to Ireland as a result of the ongoing forestry licensing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17055/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1277 and 1278 together.
While the Department holds information in relation to regulated wood and wood products subject to phytosanitary controls, it does not hold information on total wood imports.
The COFORD Connect series “Woodflow and the forest – based biomass energy use on the island of Ireland” provide a range of forestry statistics on harvesting and exports across a number of different forest products. A detailed breakdown of figures for 2015 to 2018 provides information of the net log imports minus log exports for this time series. The data currently available is outlined in the table below:
|
Log imports less log exports (in m3) |
|
|
2018 |
- 205, 000 |
|
2017 |
- 65,000 |
|
2016 |
- 16,000 |
|
2015 |
40,000 |
|
*A negative figure means there was a net outflow of logs from the Republic of Ireland exported (which includes logs moving to Northern Ireland) |
Detailed figures for 2019 and 2020 are not yet available. Detailed information on all COFORD Connect series are available on www.coford.ie. The weblink to the published Woodflow and the forest – based biomass energy use on the island of Ireland 2018 can be assessed at http://www.coford.ie/news/woodflowandforest-basedbiomassenergyuseontheislandofireland2018.html. These also provide detailed information on harvesting levels against projected timber forecasts. Trade data is also included along with information on the use of forest based biomass for energy.
In relation to the importation of sawlog from Scotland, the Department can confirm that in the four months September to December 2019, the average monthly importation of logs was 5,245 tonnes. In the year 2020, this figure was 10,488 tonnes/month and year to date in 2021, the average monthly importation of logs from Scotland is 17,896 tonnes/month. Even with these higher import figures this year, it still represents less than 10% of overall consumption by Irish sawmills.
The Department has invested heavily in both ecologist and forestry Inspector resources over the last 18 months in order to meet the needs of the licencing system. We now have 21 full-time equivalent ecologists where previously we had one just 18 months ago. This has resulted in a significant improvement in the licencing output with, for example, almost three million m3 of felling licences issuing from last October to January. Similarly, roads licences have improved considerably compared to the same months last year and 50% of the target for 2021 has already been licenced by mid-March.
We acknowledge that the progress that has been made needs to be improved and sustained. Consequently, we are implementing internal changes to improve output including training, increased assistance to ecologists in the preparation of files, improved IT resources for ecologists and other system improvements. In addition, we are engagement intensively with the sector who also have a role to play by is focusing on improvement in the quality and consistency of applications and subsequent information including NISs.
Through Project Woodland, there is now a dedicated working group around the Backlog and establishing KPIs and a separate working group is charged with examining our internal processes that includes an end-to-end review of systems to ensure that they are made more efficient and are environmentally robust. We are recruiting project management and systems analyst expertise to assist in this process.
Overall, we have set ourselves a target of issuing 4,500 new licences this year which would be a 75% increase on last year. This is a massive undertaking but I believe it is possible to achieve with the collaboration of all.
