Robert Troy
Question:924. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2804/20]
View answerThursday, 5 March 2020
Questions (924)
Written answers
Applications for forestry operations must be carefully assessed by officials of my Department to ensure any possible impacts the operations may have on the surrounding countryside and environment are fully considered. For this reason, my Department has recently amended its Appropriate Assessment procedures to take account of important Court of Justice of the European Union decisions, in respect of the Habitats Directive. This has caused a backlog of applications, while the new procedures were put in place.
The tree felling application for the person named was reviewed by a forestry inspector and a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) was requested on 12 September 2019. If the applicant wishes to progress with their application, they must supply the requested NIS before any further assessment of their application can take place.