Vincent Nally, IFA Farm Forestry Chair said the health of the national forest estate is under threat due to timber shortages; a result of the forest licence crisis.   “Forest owners are concerned by recent reports of the importation of timber from a country with an infestation of bark beetle,” said Mr. Nally. […]

The Irish timber market appears to have escaped the impacts of COVID-19 to date, there has been no decline in demand and the market remains buoyant, with a strong demand for roundwood.  The delays and shortages in felling licences and the resulting shortage in harvesting operations may have assisted in maintaining strong demand for roundwood.

IFA Farm Forestry Chair Vincent Nally said the forest sector is in a state of emergency because of the licence crisis. “Farmers are facing delays of up to two years, and in some instances significantly longer, to get licences to plant, build a forest road or thin their forest.  Applications, which were previously zero-cost, are […]

  IFA Farm Forestry Chairman Vincent Nally said the plan to address the backlog of forestry licences actively discriminates against farm forests and could signal the end of farmer planting.