There is public misconception surrounding forestry activity in Ireland and the mistaken belief that insufficient legislation exists to monitor and govern the industry. Nothing could be further from the truth and a vast array of laws and regulations govern the activities of all forest owners, farm foresters and Irish forestry fund owners in all aspects of forest operations and management. Below is an extract from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine’s website under the Forestry and the Law section which gives a good idea of the tight regime under which the forest industry operates.
Legal and Regulatory Framework relevant to Irish Forestry
The following lists relevant Irish and EU legislation, together with the various international protocols which have a bearing on forest practice in Ireland.
Primary legislation
- Forestry Act, 2014
- Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992
- Forestry Act 1946 (Revoked and replaced by Forestry Act, 2014)
- Forestry Act 1988
- Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009
- Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977-1990
- National Monuments Acts 1930-2004
- Occupiers Liability Act 1995
- Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2011
- Roads Act 1993 to 2007
- Waste Management Acts 1996 to 2011
- Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000
Secondary legislation
- Forestry Regulations 2017 (SI No 191 of 2017)
- Forestry Act 1946 (Part IV) Regulations 1949 (S.I. No. 67 of 1949) (Revoked)
- European Communities Environmental Objectives (Surface Waters) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 272 of 2009)
- European Communities (Forest Consent and Assessment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No 558 of 2010)
- (Revoked and replaced by Forestry Regulations, 2017 (S.I. No 191 of 2017)
- European Communities (Aerial Fertilisation) (Forestry) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No 125 of 2012)
- (Revoked and replaced by Forestry Regulations, 2017 (S.I. No 191 of 2017)
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 504 of 2006)
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 299 of 2007)
- Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 600 of 2001)
EU Legislation
- Council Directive 66/404/EEC on the marketing of forest reproductive material.
- Council Directive 71/161/EEC on external quality standards for forest reproductive material marketed within the Community.
- Council Directive 77/93/EEC on protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community.
- Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds.
- Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.
- Council Directive 1999/105/EC on the marketing of forest reproductive material.
- Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy.
- Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment.
- Directive 2006/11/EC on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community.
- Community Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment.
(Source: Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine website)