Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 October 2018
470. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the issue of further afforestation in areas with poorly buffered soils under new afforestation management and environmental procedures that are applicable for a number of years; the number of applications for planting refused in each of the years 2008 to 2017, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39500/18]
View answerThe Department's afforestation scheme includes a number of measures that ensure that afforestation is carried out on appropriate sites while taking into account any environmental considerations that might exist.
All new forests must be established in compliance with national and EU legislation and the Department’s requirements as set out in the Forestry Standards Manual, Scheme Documents, Code of Best Practice – Ireland and the suite of environmental guidelines including the Environmental Requirements introduced in December 2016, to ensure that the establishment of new forests is carried out in a way that is compatible with the protection and enhancement of our environment, particularly in relation to water, biodiversity, archaeology, soil type and the landscape. This is a basic requirement under environmental legislation and State aid rules underpinning the 2014-2020 Forestry Programme.
The number of applications for planting refused in each of the years 2008 to 2017 are shown in the table.
Afforestation refusals 2008-2017
|
COUNTY |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
Totals |
|
Carlow |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
|||||||
|
Cavan |
2 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
|||
|
Clare |
14 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
14 |
25 |
19 |
14 |
8 |
2 |
111 |
|
Cork |
2 |
2 |
17 |
17 |
3 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
76 |
|
Donegal |
3 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
23 |
|
|
Dublin |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||||||
|
Galway |
4 |
10 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
12 |
7 |
1 |
80 |
|
Kerry |
17 |
16 |
27 |
23 |
8 |
33 |
8 |
11 |
5 |
148 |
|
|
Kildare |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
||||||
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
|||||
|
Laois |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
24 |
|
Leitrim |
2 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
31 |
|||
|
Limerick |
8 |
6 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
13 |
6 |
8 |
1 |
55 |
|
|
Longford |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
14 |
||
|
Mayo |
3 |
10 |
9 |
2 |
6 |
13 |
3 |
2 |
48 |
||
|
Meath |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
||||||
|
Monaghan |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||||||
|
Offaly |
1 |
4 |
7 |
5 |
9 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
41 |
|
|
Roscommon |
1 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
13 |
21 |
9 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
78 |
|
Sligo |
3 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
17 |
7 |
11 |
3 |
54 |
|
|
Tipperary |
5 |
17 |
12 |
9 |
4 |
13 |
15 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
83 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
|||||
|
Westmeath |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
19 |
||
|
Wexford |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
|||||
|
Wicklow |
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
|||||
|
Totals |
66 |
76 |
94 |
120 |
96 |
189 |
126 |
116 |
45 |
29 |
957 |
