Forestry Sector

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 June 2021

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Ceisteanna (345)

Michael Lowry

Ceist:

345. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to the attendance by his officials at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Marine on 27 May 2021, if the detailed calculations used by his officials in determining the stated total volume licensed for both 2020 and 2021 in both the private sector and Coillte will be provided; the quantity of the stated volume available for harvesting in both 2020 and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35034/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In calculating the volumes licensed, the volumes attributed to Coillte are taken from input data received from Coillte. In this way, the Department is aware that over 3.5 million cubic metres has been licensed for harvest by Coillte in 2021.

For the private sector, the formula used has previously outlined both to stakeholders and to the Committee. For clearfells and thinnings plus clearfell sites, a volume of 330 cubic metres per hectare is used and, for thinning only sites, a volume of 70 cubic metres per hectare is used. Licensed volume however does not necessarily translate into volume that will be harvested this year as the licence may be issuing to an applicant who wishes to harvest in 2022 or 2023 or beyond. Likewise, licences that issued in 2018 or 2019 may be realised this year. The weekly volume outputs are published each week on our licensing dashboard.

To best estimate the harvest in any one year, the best source is the COFORD roundwood forecast.