Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 October 2022
782. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to any potential impact on the price that Irish farmers receive for timber arising from Programme for the Endorsement of Forest or Forest Stewardship Council certification; the steps that he is taking to mitigate any impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49587/22]
View answerForest certification is a voluntary process for forest owners in Ireland, where an independent third party assesses the quality of forest management and production against a set of requirements predetermined by a public or private certification organization such as PEFC or FSC. It is market driven and outside the control of my Department and a matter for each individual forest owner as to whether to pursue certification or not.
The area of forests certified to the PEFC and FSC standard in Ireland in the private sector is low. Figures estimate that the area is approximately 6% of the private estate. All Coillte forests are certified to the PEFC and FSC standard.
I understand that a COFORD will shortly be publishing a Study of Private Forest Certification, which outlines a series of recommendations to significantly scale up the area certified in the private sector. My Department will assess theses recommendation in full when published.
