Carol Nolan urges emergency action on forestry licensing crisis
Carol Nolan raised the forestry crisis in the House, saying 6,000 licences are caught in a backlog, sawmills are importing timber and 10,000 jobs hang in the balance. She asked the minister to introduce emergency legislation to end the crisis and described six Agriculture Committee meetings without resolution as "an absolute sham."
Licensing backlog and industry impact
The speaker warned that 6,000 licences remain caught in a backlog, forcing mills and sawmills to import timber. She said construction is affected and emphasised that 10,000 rural jobs - including sawmills, foresters, hauliers and farmers - hang in the balance.
Calls for emergency legislation
Carol Nolan asked the minister directly to play a part in introducing emergency legislation to resolve the forestry licensing crisis "once and for all" because of the scale of job losses and community concern. She criticised the lack of progress despite repeated committee attention.
Department response and staffing increases
A reply in the debate noted the Department reports licensing is up on last year, with an increase in output across seven weeks up to 2 July and around 100 licences now being issued per week. Improvements were interrupted by a requirement for a second 30-day public consultation for cases subject to appropriate assessment.
Resourcing measures underway
The Department said it has added significant staff capacity: 27 ecologists recruited (up from two 18 months ago), 15 new forestry inspectors, a project manager and business analyst working with DAFM since June, and 15 additional admin staff. The response acknowledged a "big log to get through" but indicated resource increases aim to speed licensing.
Ongoing frustration and parliamentary proceedings
The speaker expressed frustration that six Agriculture Committee meetings had not solved the issue and described the situation as a national scandal and embarrassment. The exchange closed as the debate moved on to other questions, with calls for the Department and minister to act urgently.
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I wish to raise the issue of our forestry crisis with you again today. I raised it in leaders' questions and indeed many times in this House. Now earlier this week there was another meeting on the Agriculture Committee and Deputy Michael Collins, my colleague, also raised the matter. But we now have a situation which is becoming a national scandal and an embarrassment. We have 6,000 licences caught up in a backlog and we have our mills, our sawmills importing timber. We also have our construction industry affected and we have 10,000 jobs that hang in the balance, rural jobs that really serve the local economy. We need action and I am asking you here today if you will play your part in introducing emergency legislation to end this crisis once and for all because too many jobs are at stake and I know there is huge concern among sawmills, foresters, hauliers and farmers. We need to resolve this issue once and for all. Six agriculture committee meetings and it is still not resolved just shows that it is an absolute sham at this stage. Thanks Deputy, I appreciate this issue is causing a lot of frustration not just for people in forestry but the impact it is having in construction as well and the Government is keen to get it resolved. I am told from the Department that licensing this year will be significantly up on last year. We are seeing an increase in licensing output in seven weeks up to the 2nd of July with around 100 licences now being issued per week. These improvements were interrupted by the requirement to go to a second 30-day public consultation for cases subject to an appropriate assessment. But there has been a lot of additional resources provided to the Department with more ecologists, forestry inspectors and additional admin staff applied to licensing. So 27 ecologists have been recruited which is an increase from only two, 18 months ago. The Department has supplemented its forestry inspectors with 15 new inspectors. There is a project manager and business analyst recruited and they have been working with DAFM since June. And 15 additional admin staff have been recruited so there is a big log to get through but hopefully things will improve soon. Moving on, different questions. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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