There's fear among local saw mills that low afforestation levels will undermine the national forest strategy.
Earlier this week the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee visited Murray Timber in Ballygar to discuss the matter.
High planting levels in the 1980's and 1990's will see a significant rise in production of timber products in the coming years.
However there is concern over the current level of planting and how this might be felt in 30 years' time.
Mark MacAuley Director of Forest Industries Ireland says planting should be up around 8,000 hectares per year but that's now around 2,000 hectares.
Mark is confident 1.4 million homes could be built from timber which has matured over the last 40 years and he feels this low carbon method is the way forward.
Speaking to Shannonside FM News Mark wants the planting of trees to be more attractive to farmers.
''The risk and uncertainty created by the regulations, delays with licenses, all these things undermine confidence and the confidence is gone out of the farming community in terms of planting trees. Make it easier and more rewarding for people to plant trees and I think they'll do it and it will be good for our climate, business and building houses. ''
