The sector has warned that tree planting has collapsed and 12,000 forestry-related jobs are threatened by a massive backlog in the Government's licensing and appeals system."The legislation is allowing for an increase in the number of people on the Forestry Appeals Committee and it allows a subdivision of this committee so that it can review many appeals at one time," the Green Party minister said. "The appeals process will be more efficient and work quicker.
After reviewing 9,000 submissions on the draft legislation, Minister Hackett said she will be removing the "relevant person" provision. "The bill as published on Tuesday will not restrict people from making an appeal on a forestry licence," she added. At the None-So-Hardy nursery in Shillelagh, Co Wicklow, Teige Ryan has had to destroy young trees produced to meet Government's planting target of 8,500 hectares. He says just 2,500 hectares have been planted this year.
He said 400 cases were also stuck in the Forestry Appeals Committee. "You could be talking about two million tonnes of timber stuck in those two queues which is enough to build 100,000 houses in this country." She said there was potential that it would lead people to take court actions instead of going through the appeals board. "It’s often rural dwellers that are most impacted by these decisions and this bill will potentially stop them from having their say."