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Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 March 2022

Thursday, 3 March 2022

Questions (350)

Matt Shanahan

Question:

350. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked 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]

View answer

Written answers

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 1st January 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)  

 -

2019

 

2020

 

 

No. of imports

Total tonnage

No. of imports

Total tonnage

January

 

 

1

2,300

February

 

 

2

4,990

March

 

 

3

6,800

April

 

 

4

5,167

May

 

 

4

7,238

June

 

 

3

8,350

July

 

 

6

8,260

August

 

 

5

7,680

September

5

7,850

8

13,925

October

4

7,150

13

19,850

November

2

4,500

14

25,392

December

2

1,480

10

15,898

 

log imports into Ireland (All from PFA in Scotland)

 -

2021

 

2022

 

 

No. of imports

Total tonnage

No. of imports

Total tonnage

January

13

21,487

3

3,400

February

7

10,200

6

10,700

March

18

28,000

 

 

April

13

22,050

 

 

May

11

22,200

 

 

June

13

20,850

 

 

July

14

20,900

 

 

August

12

20,050

 

 

September

13

19,700

 

 

October

8

15,200

 

 

November

8

14,050

 

 

December

5

7,700

 

 

 

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