The Department of Agriculture has estimated that 24,000ha of forestry or close to 10m cubic metres of timbers was flattened by storms Éowyn and Darragh.
Minister for State Michael Healy-Rae has refused to budge on the requirement for felling licences to clear devastated forestry plantations.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Department of Agriculture is refusing to budge on its insistence that forestry owners will require felling licences to clear plantations devastated by storms Darragh and Éowyn.
The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the issue of felling licences was raised once more at the latest meeting of the forest windblow taskforce on Tuesday 25 February, but no concessions were forthcoming on this point.
However, senior staff at the Department’s forestry service and the Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae pointed out that all efforts were being made to streamline the felling licence application process. They insisted again that windblow felling licence applications will get priority.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Department admitted last week that almost 60,000ac of forestry was either flattened or severely damaged by the recent storms. The volume of timber knocked is estimated at 10m cubic metres, or more than double the total annual capacity of the country’s sawmills, which is put at 4.3m cubic metres.
The Department has claimed that more than half the plantation owners impacted by the storms have felling licences.
However, there is mounting pressure to offer some concessions to the hundreds of affected plantation owners who do not have felling licences.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, Minister Healy-Rae reaffirmed his commitment to supporting forest owners impacted by the storms.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the headline, summary and link below:
Title: Department refuses to budge on felling licences
The Department of Agriculture has estimated that 24,000ha of forestry or close to 10m cubic metres of timbers was flattened by storms Éowyn and Darragh.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
The Department of Agriculture is refusing to budge on its insistence that forestry owners will require felling licences to clear plantations devastated by storms Darragh and Éowyn.
The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the issue of felling licences was raised once more at the latest meeting of the forest windblow taskforce on Tuesday 25 February, but no concessions were forthcoming on this point.
However, senior staff at the Department’s forestry service and the Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae pointed out that all efforts were being made to streamline the felling licence application process. They insisted again that windblow felling licence applications will get priority.
The Department admitted last week that almost 60,000ac of forestry was either flattened or severely damaged by the recent storms. The volume of timber knocked is estimated at 10m cubic metres, or more than double the total annual capacity of the country’s sawmills, which is put at 4.3m cubic metres.
The Department has claimed that more than half the plantation owners impacted by the storms have felling licences.
However, there is mounting pressure to offer some concessions to the hundreds of affected plantation owners who do not have felling licences.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, Minister Healy-Rae reaffirmed his commitment to supporting forest owners impacted by the storms.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS