Mattie McGrath spoke about prolonged delays in felling licences, urging legislative change to prevent serial and frivolous objectors from blocking forestry work. He warned that farm and forestry contractors, with large machinery investments, risk being idle in 2020 unless the law is amended.
Key concern
McGrath criticised long delays affecting farm contractors and forestry contractors and said serial objectors are holding up felling licences. He stressed that contractors and landowners have long-term investments and need to harvest and move product, otherwise they face lost work in the coming year.
Application trends cited
He cited a rise in felling licence applications from over 1,700 in 2010 to almost 6,000 in 2018 and claimed applications were down to about 1,800 this year. McGrath used those figures to argue the system has become backlogged and requires legislative change.
Government response and dispute over figures
The minister responding disputed the figures, saying applications are up again and more are being processed, and urged the deputy to check his facts. The minister noted industry engagement with the department and mentioned appeals-process concerns raised by Deputy Brigitte. The minister also said an amendment to the Act is planned to be introduced in the new year.
Implications for contractors
McGrath warned that skilled contractors with substantial machinery investments will be unable to work unless serial and frivolous objections are curtailed. He called for changes to legislation to streamline felling licences and the appeals process so contractors can carry out their work.
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Goor maith agor, Teachta, the programme for government is rich in its support for agriculture and agriforestry, but there are huge concerns of the farm contractors of Ireland and forestry contractors, and indeed many farmers, landowners, over the desperate delays in getting three felling licences, and it's gone on too long, and I believe there's a serial objector out there as well, holding it all up, so we need to change the legislation here, because in 2010 to 2018, the number of felling licence applications submitted showed a sustained increase from over 1,700 in 2010 to almost 6,000 in 2018, this year they're way down to 1,800 applications, these people have long-term investments, they need to get the product out, as well as that they're skilled contractors with huge investments in machinery, and they need to be able to work, they will be idle in 2020 if something isn't done here, and the Minister of State and Toshio and so on, I think it's a serious situation that we need to amend the legislation to stop serial objectors, and frivolous objectors, and allow the contractors to do their work. Thank you. Thank you. I'm very well aware of the challenges that are out there, I think you're wrong on your figures of applications for felling licences this year, they're up again on last year, the amount, they are up, there's a lot more being processed, applications are up, the problem is, the problem is, specifically you should check your facts, Deputy, the problem, I have the facts, I have the facts. Deputy, Deputy Brigitte que up the appeals process itself. The industry have engaged last week with the department and with all the stakeholders. I know the case that you're referring to. Well, I have a list of applications in which we're trying to process and we are trying to deal with it. We did try to introduce an amendment to the Act where we're going to have to do it in a different manner in the new year.
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