Carol Nolan warns forestry licensing chaos risks 12,000 jobs
Carol Nolan spoke on 30 Sep 2020 about failures in the forestry licensing and appeals system, arguing the situation is destabilising the sector and threatening thousands of jobs. She urged the minister to reinstate or replace the removed 'relevant persons' safeguard and to introduce robust measures to clear the backlog and stop obstructive appeals.
Main concern
Carol Nolan said she represents Lee Shoffely, where forestry is a huge sector that supports rural and regional employment. She told colleagues she has raised the issue previously through a topical issue and many parliamentary questions and has been contacted by frustrated employers, forestry workers and farmers who want the problem resolved.
Licensing and objections
She expressed dismay that the 'relevant persons' provision was removed from the bill and argued that its absence allows ongoing objections from people who live "300 miles away" and know nothing of rural Ireland. Nolan said the majority of appeals are lodged by a small handful of individuals and often target forestry policy generally rather than specific projects, creating farcical levels of obstruction.
Immediate impacts cited
The deputy warned that at the current rate appeals are processed it will take 16 months to clear the backlog. She cited a day in early August when objectors stalled production of 100,000 cubic metres of timber - enough to build 5,000 homes - and warned this could majorly affect the construction sector.
Economic risk and call for safeguards
Nolan said up to 12,000 jobs are at serious risk if the disputes continue and called on the minister to put in safeguards similar to the removed provision. She made clear that while the right to appeal must be respected, it must not be used to disrupt, obstruct and prevent people from doing their work.
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I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important matter. I have consistently highlighted this issue through the tabling of a topical issue last year and also many, many parliamentary questions. I'm a TD from Lee Shoffely where forestry is a huge sector and creates huge and important employment and indeed supports our rural economy and the regional economy at that. I've been in contact with many frustrated employers, forestry workers and farmers. who want this issue sorted. It has gone on too long and we need to make sure that we now have a robust system in place. It is quite clear that this is a massive sector and that anything that happens within it in terms of destabilising the internal licensing process will have very serious and detrimental side effects. It is my understanding and it came to me and indeed I was dismayed when I heard it, that the relevant persons piece in the bill was removed and and that to me is shocking because the relevant persons piece would prevent ongoing objections from people who live 300 miles away and don't know anything about rural Ireland or indeed the rural economy. And I think that if it's a case that it has been removed, Minister, we need to put in some other similar safeguard to make sure that we don't have the mess and the chaos that we currently have in the forestry sector in terms of the objections which have become ludicrous at this time. There's too many, it's just become farcical. At the present rate of which the appeals are being currently processed, it will take 16 months to clear the backlog. In one day in early August, objectors stalled production of 100,000 cubic metres of timber, enough timber to build 5,000 homes. This is going to majorly affect the construction sector if it's not sorted out and if there isn't robust safeguards put in place. It is also worth noting that the vast majority of appeals are lodged by a small handful of individuals and they target forestry policy generally rather than any specific project. So what I'm asking for is for something to be done in that regard. We accept people have the right to appeal but we don't accept that they have the right to disrupt and obstruct and prevent people from doing their work. And indeed it stands that it could damage the rural economy and at the minute we have 12,000 jobs at serious risk. Thank you.
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