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The Cabinet decision to amend the Agricultural Appeals Act must deliver efficiency in the forestry appeals system that makes it fit for purpose, IFA farm forestry chair Vincent Nally has said.
On average, 24 forestry appeal applications are submitted each month, with just seven being decided upon, resulting in a two-year delay on average.
Nally said: “Farmers with a crop to harvest have become very frustrated with the appeals system and must have confidence that an appeal will be heard within a defined timeframe so they can manage their forest sustainably.”
Future supply
There are currently over 500 forestry applications in the appeals stag with many farmers waiting over two years for their licence to be approved.
Nally continued: “The financial and emotional costs, as a result of the delays in the forestry appeals system, should not be underestimated. Farmers need a forestry appeal system that will issue decisions in a defined timescale to protect the value of their investment.
“The current system is not fit for purpose, and if not amended, it will have a significant impact on the immediate wood supply, and on future wood supply from farm forests.”
It has been estimated that 1.1m cubic metres of logs are currently held up in appeals on felling licences and road permits. Currently, objections can be made by any member of the public free of charge.
The IFA has warned that thousands of rural jobs that are supported through the mobilisation timber are under threat as a result of the backlog.
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