Danny Healy-Rae demands action over 2,000 forestry applications
Danny Healy-Rae spoke on 17 Nov 2020 about severe delays and alleged mismanagement in felling licence applications and forestry policy. He said 2,000 applications are stuck in the system, with some applicants waiting up to seven years, and called for an amnesty and firm timelines.
Backlog and waiting times
He highlighted a backlog of 2,000 applications and told ministers that some applicants have waited as long as seven years. He pressed for timelines on applications and fire requests and said his rural independent group had fought hard to secure such deadlines.
Concentration of outstanding cases
He produced examples, saying he had 27 applications from one small forestry consultancy firm dating back to 2017 and 2018, and described individual cases where applicants had been waiting years for approval.
Financial loss from imports
He raised a specific concern about a boatload of timber arriving from Scotland valued at 230,000 euro, arguing this represented a loss of income to small Irish farmers and urging the minister to act to protect local growers.
Grants, premiums and retrospective rules
He noted that the department had given grants to plant forestry and annual premiums, and criticised measures he said now prevent some owners from cutting and selling the timber they expected to harvest. He warned these changes risk being applied retrospectively to 20- and 30-year-old plantations.
Appeal to the new minister and vulnerable residents
He called on the new minister, acknowledging the minister's short time in office, to examine long-standing cases and consider an amnesty for those caught in the system. He emphasised the impact on vulnerable people, including those in wheelchairs who wanted timber to adapt their homes, and pledged to continue fighting for affected rural constituents.
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Don't nail me when you didn't nail the rest of me. 2,000 applications stuck in the system. There needs to be serious questions asked of senior management. If you committed manslaughter, you would only get seven years. You may not even get seven years, but I have a man here. Here we have the finest family of daughters. Here we eat daughters. For seven years his application is in the system. I have 27 applications here from one small forestry consultancy firm. The very most of them are going back to 2018 and some of them in 2017. And then the fellow that is seven years waiting. Surely those kind of people deserve an amnesty now. I mean, you are not going to... With the system that you have, there is no timeline. And, Minister, we have fought very hard, our rural independent independent group to put a timeline on an application and a timeline on a fire request. And, even, Deputy Cure here admits now that there should be a timeline. And, and, and that is what we fought very hard for. It's, it's, it's brought to my attention that a boatload of timber coming in from Scotland is the value of 230,000 euro. And, that's a loss of income to small Irish farmers. And, you, you need to pull out all the stops, Minister. This can continue. This can continue. And, it will continue. And, the fellows that have presided over it, they'll be paid, and they'll be paid their pensions. But, and, and I'm sorry to have to say this, but when I see what's happening to people in rural areas, and, and people that were depending on this, and, you know, we're talking about felling licences, but the department actually gave them a grant to plant the forestry. And, and, and, and, and they gave them premiums each year. And, there should have been an expectance that they would be at least able to cut it, and sell it, and make a road to take it out of it. I mean, we're making, what I feel now is that those forests are 20 and 30 years planted. And, we're, we're actually making laws retrospectively, you know, for to stop them of bringing out the timber, or selling the timber. That they expected to sell. And, when we're talking about Quilter, getting felling licences, this is their second and third time. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. We're not ready now, Danny. We're, we're not ready with Quilter. Like, I'm, I'm under office. All right. But, but look, we have to do something about the, the, the ones that are in the system going back two and three, and as far as seven years. I call you, new minister, to look at it. And, I, I don't blame you, you're only in the job three or four months, and we'll give you every chance in the world. But, we, we'll tell you as it is. And, it's very wrong to think that people in wheelchairs, that wanted to, that wanted to cut their bit of timber, and to improve their house, for, for, to make the house more accessible, for the, for the, the man that planted the timber 25 and 30 years ago. to, to, to, we, we need to see after those people. And, we will be in here, day after day, ensuring, and fighting for those people. Because, it's very wrong what's happening. And, it's very wrong that people that are paid a high wage inside the department, have this country left for the way it is in the line of forestry. Thank you. Thank you.
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