Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 May 2014
28. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the profits from the timber removed from Gougane Barra, a public amenity forest, will be reinvested in the forest park; the amount of timber in cubic metres that was the final amount; the amount per cubic metre that was obtained for it; the total sale price; the age of the trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20333/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraCoillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of their forest estate, are the responsibility of the company.
As the Deputy is aware, Phytophthora ramorum was confirmed on Japanese larch trees in Gougane Barra Forest Park, County Cork, earlier this year. To prevent the further spread of the disease, control measures were implemented in accordance with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine protocols. Felling the infected trees is the appropriate measure with the aim of preventing further spread by limiting spore production. The company has advised that harvesting is still ongoing but it is estimated that close on 8,000 cubic metres will be harvested, with an additional wind-blow volume of approximately 500 cubic metres which needs to be removed.
In relation to the use of the proceeds from the harvesting, the company has confirmed that there will be reinvestment into the Park and advised that the area will be replanted and that repairs are also needed on some trails and the road. The company add that it should be noted that, as the site is being felled manually and timber extracted by cable machine, given the nature of the site, this is over double the cost of a normal clear fell operation.
Coillte advise that it does not disclose price information as it is commercially sensitive. I conveyed to the Deputy earlier this week that 70% of the volume felled in Gougane Barra was Larch and that the remaining 30% was made up of Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce. As regards the age of the trees, the company advise that the trees involved were planted between 1939 and 1942 with approximately 0.5 hectares of younger infected Larch and Lodgepole pine planted in 1989.
