The IFA has questioned the legal requirement for felling licences to clear plantations which have been devastated by storm Éowyn.

Felling licences are only required where trees are free standing and have an ability to reach maturity, IFA forestry chair, Padraic Stapleton, pointed out.

Neither of these conditions can be satisfied in large tracts of forestry which were hit by storm Éowyn, he maintained.

“The IFA is urging Minister Healy-Rae to consider the law and what is exempt from requiring a felling licence,” Stapleton said.

John Roche of Arbor Forest Management agrees with the IFA. “It is vital that the requirement for felling licences is suspended. If trees are on the ground, why would you need a felling licence?” he asked.

With a huge quantity of forestry levelled by Éowyn, the industry has called for an immediate Government response.

The extent of the damage is still unknown but the latest industry estimates put it in the region of 7m tonnes of timber, which is the biggest instance of forestry windblow in the history of the State.

“We are urging the minister to declare a state of emergency in the sector and go to Europe for emergency funding,” Stapleton said.

With enough timber on the ground to supply Ireland’s saw milling capacity for up to two years, Stapleton called for a pause in the felling of all standing timber.

This move was supported by Derek McCabe of the Irish Forest Owners (IFO), who said the focus must shift to salvaging as much timber as possible from damaged plantations.

“We have a perishable product here and it needs to be moved from a health and safety perspective, from a disease perspective, and from an owner well-being perspective,” McCabe pointed out.

Describing the situation as “catastrophic” across the west, northwest and north midlands, John Roche said the Government should confirm to forestry owners that a reconstitution grant will be put in place as was done after storm Darwin in 2014. “That will allow lads to get going on clearing the ground,” Roche said.