Brendan Smith: Demand for Faster Forestry Laws After Storm Éowyn

Minister, it's now a year and five months since Stormy Owen wreaked havoc on this country and caused so much damage and we were promised at that time the government would take effective measures to implement the learnings from Stormy Owen. I welcome your major commitment to upgrading of the energy infrastructure and the commitment of very substantial funding. There is also a need to implement new legislative measures with regard particularly to the relationship between forestry and energy and power lines. I'd like to know where that legislation is at because we don't want to be in a position again where another storm would happen and many areas of our country then will be without electricity again. Thank you Cathaoirleach. Thank you very much Deputy Smith and look for raising this really really important matter. The bill that you refer to which is the Electricity Supply Amendment number two bill is being progressed by my department as part of a wider program of work to strengthen resilience of Ireland's electricity network in the context of climate change and severe storms and lessons have and must continue to be learned from Stormy Owen. We've seen significant work done in relation to clearing of forestry corridors and of debris and that work is underway but the overarching objective is to ensure that overhead electricity network and forestry can coexist in a manner that delivers a secure, reliable and climate resilient electricity supply for homes, businesses and for communities across the country. The bill will make provision for a number of amendments which include enhanced protective vegetation management measures to protect the electricity network including powers to clear vegetation likely to interfere with that network, the establishment of a maintenance and maintenance excuse me of forestry corridors to improve resilience and operational safety for the network, statutory regulation of future forestry planting in proximity to the electricity network. The bill is informed by lessons learned from Stormy Owen and other severe weather events and where we've seen specific vulnerabilities in parts of our country. The proposed legislation seeks to provide a clear statutory framework to facilitate the proactive management of vegetation and forestry risks while balancing environmental considerations, forestry interest and the rights of landowners and that's underway whilst as you've recognized we're investing in critical grid infrastructure across the country but the updated draft heads of bill are currently being revised and the team in my department continue to engage as a matter of priority with stakeholders very importantly with the Department of Agriculture and Food and Marine in particular, ESB Networks and forestry representatives, landowner organizations and the Office of the Attorney General. I'll go back in on the supplementary. Thank you. Thank you Ciara again. Thank the Minister for his reply. Minister it shouldn't be rocket science to to bring forward these new legislative measures. First of all the the initial legislation in this state goes back to 1927 with the Electricity Supply Act of 1927 and that was amended again in 1999 in relation to the relationship between forestry and transmission lines. Minister for years I had raised in this house the difficulties facing communities particularly my own county in West Cavan across Leith from Indus Ligo where year after year with lesser storms than Stormy Owen trees were falling and bringing down power lines. I could be certain that every January and February I would have numerous calls from constituents who were without power caused again by forestry falling on power lines. This issue should have been addressed before before Stormy Owen and I know that you are prioritizing it yourself but Minister legislation at official level moves far too slowly. This has to be given priority as you said yourself and there's no reason why this type of legislation should not be enacted quickly and effectively. The last thing we want is to have forestry continuing to damage our critical infrastructure including telecom lines and ESB lines and other critical infrastructure as well. Minister? Deputy I agree with you and this is a priority and it needs to move quicker and there's a lot of stakeholders this has been if I'm being very frank and honest about it more being made more complex than it should be because of respecting views of other stakeholders that are there but you know even to look as the regulation changes that have been needed for new forestry excuse me new forestry we need to ensure that's in place because the state is not going to be able to and nor should it manage every private forest or private piece of land across the country and nor should the state pay for it all so it has to be a scenario whereby if you look at the IFA agreement that was in place which is a relatively loose agreement that was in place with regard to forestry management that needs to be updated and put in legislation. We're operating under the 1927 Act where grey areas have been identified with regard to right of access so when we're bottoming them out now and I like I've met in advance earlier on this week with my own team we are dependent on other stakeholders and other departments as well to work with us which they are but this needs to be done you know really quickly and I share your sense of frustration with the pace heretofore but I can assure you it's been a forward of the priority and we need to get it done. Thank you Ciarán and I thank the Minister for your time. Minister I cannot emphasize enough the priority that needs to be attached to this we know the horrendous hardship and suffering that was inflicted on so many individuals families and communities and unfortunately that had happened prior to storm Eoghan. The reality is that we're going to have more severe weather events unfortunately by all predictions and Minister whatever needs to be done those measures have to be put in place rapidly and under no circumstances can we have this idea that people can literally plant land up to other people's houses and all of that there has to be strict regulation and the department as well whether paying out premia for forestry should be have an inspection regime to ensure that forests are properly maintained because it's the lack of maintenance has caused so much damage has allowed trees and forestry to cause so much damage. What has happened previously cannot be allowed to continue and Minister I would implore you again to emphasize to all the stakeholders other departments and the other statutory agencies that this has to be prioritized and could I take the opportunity as I did in 2025 to pay tribute to the emergency services who worked in very very difficult circumstances at that time to try to help families and communities particularly ESB networks. Deputy I look I to the work the work of their emergency services is exceptional and you know and the difficulties that they had to operate under under recent storms and we've seen storm Shander recently as well with Eoghan. Look this needs to be concluded this work there is complexity in it I hate even using the phrase because that seems like it's it's an excuse there's genuine complexity here it's a it's an updating of not just legislation but also operations and management of forestry and I agree with you completely the forestry owners have an absolute responsibility but that's why even to get agreement now on we're new forests and we want reafforestation across the country that are planted in such a way and maintained in such a way that we're not creating a problem further down the road. We're nearly concluded with that work and I will be convening stakeholders again in the next week or so I expect to bring heads and start to go back to government on this well in advance of the summer recess and I do completely understand the urgency of it and I'll keep you directly informed because I know the impact it's had in areas in the country particularly your own area and there were there's there's large amounts of forestry that are there and some of it has not been managed and managed appropriately but I will keep you directly informed. you