I welcome the Minister and appreciate the opportunity to express my concern about the value of afforestation.
I live in a county which has developed a substantial acreage of afforestation. When the State was founded, de Valera stated that if the marginal land throughout Ireland could be developed the economic survival of the people would be assured. Bearing that in mind, I had high hopes when proposals were made to develop forestry on marginal land or land not suitable for agriculture. In recent years much has been achieved, thousands of acres of forests have been developed and millions of pounds of European aid have been spent.
Everyone is aware that there is a substantial acreage of mature forest in existence at present. We have moved away from the notion that Irish timber is second class, that it is not up to standard or that it could not be used for domestic or commercial purposes. However, we have learned to become professional producers of timber which is important. I welcome that we can now produce quality timber. Everyone recognises and values that achievement.
When Coillte was established, I was enthusiastic about its potential and believed we would begin to reap the potential benefits of the timber industry. However, I was disappointed because many of the senior staff and officers working for the Department of Lands obtained employment as timber buyers in the Republic for Northern Ireland companies. Perhaps that was a wise approach on their part because timber mills in Northern Ireland could not survive without supplies from the South. In my area there is a consistent daily traffic of lorries drawing substantial loads of timber from the South to the North.
Are we obtaining maximum value and providing employment in this industry? From my investigations I have discovered that we are obtaining little or no return because the three large timber mills in Northern Ireland employ their own workers to harvest timber in the South. Not only that, our Government provided substantial grant aid to timber harvesters which are costly pieces of equipment. Perhaps the Government was right to do so under EU regulations but in my area four timber harvesters were purchased by people from Northern Ireland. I do not object to their doing so because I do not have a partitionist approach. Nevertheless, I share the disappointment of those who believed that employment in the timber industry would increase.
People in the community in which I live are alarmed to see numerous lorry loads of timber leaving the State without any added value. In fact, this is very much to our disadvantage. The small county roads which run through our local forest are being seriously damaged. The lorries transporting timber use what are called "jacks" to withdraw that timber from the forest. The lorries park at the side of the road where the jacks are anchored thereby causing serious damage. We have received no reimbursement in respect of this damage from the Department, Coillte or any other body.
The lorries which collect timber do so on a Saturday and the local people were so concerened that they monitored the collections. There is an unorthodox method of checking lorryloads of timber out of the woods. In Meenglas Wood near Ballybofey, Coillte had made arrangements whereby a small box was nailed to a tree and those leaving with loads of timber would write a docket and put it in the box. On one day local observers checked the box after three lorries had gone through and found only one docket there. I rang the head forester about it and he said "I thought you no longer believed in folklore". He was nasty.
I have no alternative but to raise this matter in the House and make the Minister and his officials aware of the loose and unacceptable arrangements which apply. There is concern that added value to the timber industry is being excluded and that the methods for checking the timber being taken from woods are inadequate. I ask the Minister to put in a place a satisfactory method. Many people are concerned about the loss of jobs, the loss of timber and the unfulfilled expectations of added business.
An article in yesterday's Irish Independent pointed out that Coillte is to take shares in timber mills in the North and that the Irish Timber Council intends to veto that proposal. I support the timber industry in strongly opposing that move. If Coillte was to take such action small local producers and sawmills will be put out of business. A plan for a timber processing factory in Ballybofey was refused because the Department could not give a guarantee that timber would be available. The Minister must allay the concerns of those who believe that the timber industry must be put back on the rails.
