Matt Shanahan urges faster forestry licences to boost South East jobs
Matt Shanahan spoke about the importance of forestry and indigenous manufacturing in the South East, highlighting local MDF and panel producers and their sustainable practices. He welcomed new forestry legislation and called for the Forestry Appeals Committee to be resourced to streamline appeals and deliver increased felling and planting licences.
Industry and local manufacturers
He named companies such as Medite, Clonmel, Smart Ply and Waterford as key producers of MDF and cost-effective alternatives to tropical plywood, noting that these businesses directly employ over 320 workers and support more than 500 additional jobs indirectly.
Sustainability and supply chains
He emphasised sustainable operations - firms use biomass from processing waste for plant energy, maintain a low carbon footprint and operate circular systems. He also highlighted downstream sawmilling in Cork and Carlow and described timber moved by rail to Waterford as supporting the rail freight business.
Product innovation and market impact
He pointed to ongoing product innovation, including press board that has displaced traditional tropical plywood due to superior insulation and strength, and said these manufacturers supply high-value, durable and environmentally sustainable product lines.
Legislative expectations and the Forestry Appeals Committee
Welcoming the bill, he urged that the Forestry Appeals Committee be properly resourced to be efficient, to streamline appeals for felling, planting and road protection, and to provide supply chain visibility that currently impedes commercial growth.
Economic outcomes and climate policy integration
He argued the legislation should result in increased felling and planting licences, plant the right tree in the right area, protect rural jobs and build a vibrant timber sector, and he expressed hope the future forest policy will integrate closely with Government climate policy.
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Thank you Gearlach. The South East is certainly no stranger to the issues of forestry and it's a very very important sector, a very important business sector for us in the South East. We have companies like Medite and Clonmel and Smart Ply and Waterford providing MDF and cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative to tropical plywoods for use in structural and non-structural applications. These two companies directly employ over 320 workers and they support over 500 additional jobs indirectly. They also support downstream processes in Cork and Carlow in particular in terms of sawmilling. And these two businesses operate in a highly sustainable way. They purchase timber from across the 26 counties. They use biomass from their processing waste to provide energy to the plant. Timber from the west of Ireland is varied by Rail Network to Waterford, augmenting the Irish rail freight business and its overall bottom line. They operate a low carbon footprint and a circular system in sustainability. They continue to innovate in their product mix to provide ever more durable and environmentally sustainable product lines. And some of their press board has displaced traditional tropical plywood, given its superior insulation and strength qualities. The forestry industry in Waterford and the South East is a vibrant indigenous manufacturer and these companies, along with their downstream processes, are committed to supporting a mix of sustainable forestry forestation in the region. That supports both the economic need, but that also dovetails with the social, community and amenity values of traditional forest and woodland areas. Like any manufacturing business sector, these business entities depend on a secure pipeline of raw materials of the required standard and grade. They need to be able to access timber of the required quality to continue to produce the high value product their customers rely on. As a result of this legislation, which I welcome, we hope that the Forestry Appeals Committee will be resourced to be efficient. That it will provide for the streamlining of appeals for felling, for planting and for the protection of roads. That it will support the issues of replanting which have become hugely difficult and uneconomic. That it will provide industry supply chain visibility, the lack of which is an impediment to commercial growth and economic development. In essence, this bill, I hope, will make the system significantly more efficient and transparent. That it will plant the right tree in the right area, build a vibrant timber sector, protect the rural jobs and economy, provide operational clarity on the Appeals Committee. But it must ultimately result in increased felling and planting licences. I hope that we will see an economic dividend in the future forest policy and that it will integrate closely with the climate policy espoused by Government. Let's see. To this, let us start to talk a little bit more about 20 years. For the central Federal Federal Federal according to Ed, the Petersburg International.
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