There is a timber crisis in the country, which is threatening the entire forestry sector, the haulage sector that relies heavily on it, the sawmills that process it and the end users of timber, such as people in the construction industry. Unless the Government acts quickly, Ireland will soon run out of essential construction products, such as pallets and timber for the construction industry and our supply chains, forcing timber production lines to shut. Managing directors of top sawmills in Ireland say that only for the pandemic and the shutdown in Ireland they would have run out of timber by now. We are facing a nightmare scenario whereby stocks have decreased and shut down and lay-offs might be only weeks away. These people have been given notice that there is the potential for lay-offs in the very near future.

The reason for the crisis is that the permit system for planting and harvesting trees and making forestry roads has been overwhelmed because almost 2,000 applications and 400 approved permits are being appealed by a handful of so-called environmentalists, some of whom are supported by the Green Party, which is supporting the Government. The forestry appeals committee has been inundated with objections to most licences, intended to prevent the planting of conifers and block the felling of commercial forests. This is a ridiculous situation and it is extremely unfair to farmers who have planted their land thinking they would be able to sell their thinnings and clear-fell their timber when the time would be right.

Coillte, which supplies an enormous amount of timber to sawmills in Ireland, normally has auctions of timber to keep supplies sustained. Coillte has cancelled at least half a dozen of these already this year and no contracts are secured for next year. All the required permits and paperwork are stuck in this self-made man-made queue. This is a major disaster and the promises that Governments, present and past, have made on planting thousands of acres of land every year will be absolute nonsense unless the Taoiseach urgently deals with the crisis of objectors.

It is reported widely that more than 1 million cu. m of timber, which is one third of the sawmills' annual consumption, is tied up in appeals. The timber needed by the economy right now is still in the ground and it is in a two-year queue cycle. We need the Government to amend the Agriculture Appeals Act quickly to give the forestry appeals committee enough resources and the authority to clear this backlog. Hardware merchants throughout the country who rely on sawmills for much of their timber are struggling to bring in timber from overseas, which is escalating costs. Bringing in timber from abroad is ridiculous, as prices have reached record peaks in the US driven by the pandemic crisis, which has resulted in a DIY boom. European producers prefer to service very large lucrative markets in other parts of the world such as China, putting Ireland at the end of the line as to where they wish to provide timber. Instead, we are looking to Russia and Scandinavian countries to try to meet the demand. So much for the Green Party trying to do things right. Where is the environmental sense in us not being able to use our farmers' trees but instead having to go to Russia to bring here the timber we need for our construction industry?

I thank the Deputy for raising this very serious issue. It is no exaggeration to say that of course the forestry sector is in crisis. It is in crisis because the planning system as it exists has been overwhelmed by a very high volume of appeals to decisions taken by the forestry appeals committee. The response has to be through resources and legislation. The Government published legislation to deal with this by streamlining the appeals process to make it fit for purpose, environmentally sustainable and administratively efficient to deal with the backlog and the system in future. It is no exaggeration to say that thousands of jobs are at risk if this is not dealt with firmly and resolutely by the Oireachtas and the Government will bring forward this legislation. We published it in July and it went out to consultation. There were approximately 8,000 submissions. During the consultation period, the volume of objections or appeals went up dramatically, perhaps in anticipation of the legislation that was about to come in. This has exacerbated the situation somewhat further. The rate of appeals on Coillte's licences increased from 30% to 80% in August and it is likely to be 100% in September. These are not just appeals on commercial felling. Some of Coillte Nature's new non-profit tree planting proposals, such as the Dublin mountains transformation, have also been appealed. Huge amounts of trees in the ground cannot be felled and it is very serious. We have to deal with it and we will deal with it. There is a significant backlog. Forestry is a significant employer with 12,000 people directly employed in rural and regional areas. The industry will be short of timber by November if the legislation is not passed and a new system is not brought in.

The Government is committed to introducing the legislation.

The forestry sector is on its knees because of objectors. We have seen the harm that has been done in this country by objectors, who have cost us many projects that would have created employment. We have seen them denying us housing for people and seen the harm this has brought. I ask the Taoiseach and his new Ministers, whom I really wish well, and the Taoiseach knows that, to not let down the forestry farmers, the haulage contractors, the mills and everyone else in this regard. I ask the Taoiseach to do something to get rid of the horrible scourge of serial objectors for once and for all, ideally by putting in place a charge of €2,000 for every horrible objection and every horrible observation that would be put on any type of permit or licence sought, whether it is to plant ground, to make a forestry road or to get a clear-fell licence. It is only through proactive work such as this that the Government will stop this type of messing in a very important sector of our society, which the Government on one hand is trying to promote and, on the other, is not doing enough to help. I ask this of the Taoiseach in the most genuine way on behalf of farmers, haulage people and people involved in the production of timber.

I would not use that language to describe people who object to anything in the country-----

Well, I would.

People are entitled to object. That is why we have a planning process. I accept there is a crisis and that we need a more streamlined, fit-for-purpose system. That is what is proposed in the amendment to the Agriculture Appeals-----

Serial objectors.

That is why there are amendments to the Agriculture Appeals Act and why those amendments are required. The amendments will bring the forestry licensing process into line with the planning process under the Planning and Development Act 2000. The amendments we have already published - and we will take on board the consultation that arose from that publication - provide for a more efficient and effective operation of the forestry appeals process. The additional staff, including forestry inspectorate staff and others who are important in assessing applications and appeals, have already been recruited. It is a two-pronged approach involving additional resources, administrative staff, forestry inspectors, ecologists and legislation to streamline the process itself. There is always a balance in life, and that balance means we have to protect the industry, jobs in the industry and those who planted in good faith when various schemes were announced years ago and who are entitled to have their decision to engage in this programme realised. That is a fair and balanced approach to the matter.