Forestry Statistics
There are a number of public bodies that compile statistics including: the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Coillte, Central Statistics Office and University College Dublin (timber prices). These are the primary sources of information and data are available through the organisations’ publications and websites.
Data from these sources tends to be summarised, analysed and interpreted by organisations such as the Irish Timber Growers Association, the Irish Forestry and Forest Products Association, Teagasc, the Irish Farmers Association and communicated to their members and the wider forestry sector. These are the secondary sources of information.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Information is compiled by two main sources within the Department – the Forest Service and Coford. Both produce and publish authoritative official statistics. Below are listed some key documents that provide summary information on various aspects of forestry.
Forest Service
Ireland’s Forests – Annual Statistics 2014
Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 – country report Ireland
Coford
Woodflow and forest-based biomass energy use on the island of Ireland (2013)
The economic impact of the forestry and wood products sectors in Ireland
Coillte Annual Reports
Coillte the state owned forestry company compiles statistics that are published in its annual reports. These statistics relate only to Coillte’s forest estate and the company’s activities.
Coillte Sustainability Reports
Central Statistics Office
The CSO produce a limited number of statistics on the forest sector but data are difficult to access as they tend to be included with other sectors such as agriculture, fishing etc. They are however, the primary source of data on timber imports and exports.
SECONDARY SOURCES
ITGA Yearbook
Complied annually by the Irish Timber Growers Association this publication summaries forest industry statistics. Primary data on current roundwood timber prices are compiled on behalf of ITGA by UCD Forestry Department but is available to members or purchasers of the Yearbook.
Eurostat
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union which provides statistics at European level that enable comparisons between countries and regions. Data for Ireland are provided by the Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Eurostat statistical portrait – Forestry in the EU and the World
Puts EU (and Irish) forestry sector data in an international context.
SUMMARY OF KEY STATISTICS