Minister Healy-Rae welcomes collaborative engagement at first Forest Windblow Taskforce Meeting
- Published on: 5 February 2025
- Last updated on: 15 April 2025
Following the invitation by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, and Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae, the first meeting of the Forest Windblow Taskforce took place yesterday morning.
Minister Michael Healy-Rae said:
“I welcome the active, positive engagement and collaborative approach from all stakeholders at yesterday’s meeting. It is clear that our priority is the forestry owners that have been affected badly by Storm Éowyn.”
“At this early stage we are all getting to grips with the scale of the damage. It appears that this significant weather event affected a very large area of forest. The discussions at the Taskforce meeting were wide ranging, and included the potential for accelerating the licensing process, capacity in the sector to harvest this material and the markets for this timber. I look forward to continuing the work with members when we meet again next week to address the damage, and to offer advice and help to forest owners in a practical manner.”
The Taskforce is leading a coordinated response comprising stakeholders from across the sector to ensure that storm-damaged forests are managed safely and appropriately.
Notes
The department published Windblow and Storm Damage Guidance for Forest Owners last week.