Minister of State with responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity Senator Pippa Hackett is attempting to pass what she calls “emergency legislation” to deal with a forestry appeals backlog that many say has now reached crisis point.

Data from the forestry appeals committee shows that up to 50% of applications are appealed every month, creating a wait time of 15 months to clear the queue.

Many in the forestry industry say there is a high risk of jobs being lost, with 100% of Coillte applications appealed since August this year.

Critics of legislation

However, the new legislation has been criticised by some individuals and political figures for its hurried nature and concerns remain that it could undermine the ability of individuals to appeal forestry applications they have concerns about.

The bill was debated at committee stage on Friday 25 September and Minister Hackett hopes that President Higgins will sign the bill into law earlier than originally expected.